The Atlanta Hawks have an 8-0 record since Nate McMillan took over from Lloyd Pierce as interim head coach. While being unbeaten since he took over is a wonderful thing, it would be worth taking a look deeper into what has happened during this run would be wise.
The first game after McMillan took over the Hawks played the Miami Heat, the team which beat them comprehensively the game before. The Heat were without their franchise player Jimmy Butler. The Hawks took advantage of that and got the win. The Hawks then squeaked out a win against the Orlando Magic without Clint Capela just prior to the break.
The luck then continued for the Hawks when they took on the Toronto Raptors who had Pascal Siakam and several others out through health and safety protocols. This meant that the Hawks played a much-weakened squad and they took advantage of that.
The Atlanta Hawks have started beating teams that they should beat.
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The next four teams the Hawks have beaten are the Sacramento Kings, Cleaveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and the OKC Thunder. While the Hawks were expected to beat these teams, that had not been happening under coach Lloyd Pierce.
The last game in this series that the Hawks have won was against the Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously, the Hawks won this one but looking into the lineup for the Lakers, it is a continuation of the good luck story. Anthony Davis is still out through injury and LeBron James did not make it past 11 minutes of game time.
As a result, the Hawks have gone from 11th when McMillan to take over fourth in the East. He has the Hawks playing the right way and has shown he is willing to use any available player on his roster according to the game situation.
Should Nate McMillan be the next head coach of the Atlanta Hawks? The answer is certainly yes, but not based on his record where he has been lucky. Instead, he should be based on the way the players have responded to his message and they are playing for him.