The Atlanta Hawks have done incredibly well this season. They have battled with injury all season, had a mid-season coaching change, which happened to be one of the best things that has happened to the franchise this season.
They surprised many pundits and fans by qualifying directly for the playoffs, most people had them battling it out for a play-in tournament berth. To say that they have performed above expectations would be an understatement.
They then beat the higher-seeded New York Knicks in the first round, then they took care of the best team in the Eastern Conference in the semi-finals, the Philadelphia 76ers. That series went the full distance, with the Hawks taking the series in seven games, winning it on the 76ers home floor.
The Atlanta Hawks are getting experience that money can’t buy.
When you take a look at the starting five for the Hawks you see that only Clint Capela has more than four years of experience. On top of that, before this postseason, Capela was the only one who had experienced any playoff action.
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John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic have only played four full seasons. Trae Young and Kevin Huerter have only played three full seasons. Even the injured De’Andre Hunter has only played two seasons, barely.
They have gone into some of the most hostile environments in the NBA this postseason and succeeded. Their effort in the fifth game of the Bucks series was not great but the Bucks have become a rabid fan base, wanting success for themselves and their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks did not have a player who could quieten the crowd in the way that Young has done all playoffs due to their superstar being hurt in the third game. This lifts the home team every time and gives true meaning to home-court advantage.
Now the series moves back the Atlanta and the Hawks have the chance to level the series. Hopefully Young can return and if they can win, who knows what will happen in the seventh game.
They are experiencing playoff basketball with all its highs and lows.
Now coach Nate McMillan has plenty of experiences that he can draw on to show each player where they need to get better and why. The future is really bright for this young team.