Atlanta Hawks: The Phoenix Suns postponed game may be a blessing in disguise

The Atlanta Hawks game against the Phoenix Suns was postponed due to health and safety protocols. This may have been a blessing in disguise.

When the NBA announced the Atlanta Hawks game against the Phoenix Suns was postponed there was a level of disappointment which we all shared. However, a case can be made that it was actually a blessing in disguise.

The Hawks were about to enter a really tough stretch of games while still having a very long list of injuries. Instead of playing five games in eight days, they now only play four in the same amount of time. While they still have their back to back, the extra rest is huge.

They gained two days of extra time for Rajon Rondo to continue to rehabilitate his sore knee. This meant he did not have the pressure of a game against a top team in the Western conference hanging over his head. Getting him back in uniform and taking some pressure off Trae Young is going to be huge for the team.

The Atlanta Hawks frontcourt benefitted from the postponement.

Rookie Onyeka Okongwu was listed as probable to play his first game in the NBA after missing the start of the season with a toe issue. While he was disappointed at the fact he could not play, getting a further two days of recovery in is a good thing.

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However, where the Hawks will benefit most on the injury front for missing the Suns game is that Clint Capela was marked as questionable with a hand injury. Not playing against the Suns lessened his risk of the injury getting worse which would have potentially had a huge impact on the Hawks season.

The schedule also became a little easier with the Hawks now having five home games and four away games to round out the month of January. There is a psychological advantage to having more home games than away games for a young team.

Obviously, the Hawks are going to have to make this game up but there is a good chance that when this happens they will have more players back. This team has had such bad luck with injuries this season that they need some good fortune to head their way.