4 Ways the NBA was petty with the Atlanta Hawks schedule
2. January
Yes, the NBA got petty with the Hawks for the entire month of January. The Hawks have one of the easiest schedules in terms of rest and back-to-backs – or lack thereof – on their schedule compared to the rest of the league. Atlanta is tied for the second-fewest back-to-backs and has the third-fewest games with less rest than their opponent.
They are also set to get off to a screaming hot start. But January is set to test their resolve compared to last season. The Hawks play 15 games in January. Of those 15, 10 will come on the road including four straight on a California tour starting with Golden State Warriors (Jan 2) and ending with the now-healthy Los Angeles Clipper (Jan 8). That block is bookend by visits from LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers (Dec 30) – making two meetings (Jan 6) within a week – and Milwaukee Bucks (Jan 11).
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Last season, the Hawks went 16-25 on the road. They went 27-14 at home in 2022. For as set up as they are to get out to a hot start, they are equally as set up for a slide at an inopportune time. Just look at the Chicago Bulls last year. They spent most of the season atop the Eastern Conference only to finish as a sixth seed.
That kind of a slide should only derail the Hawks if their improvements, namely the addition of Murray, don’t pay off as anticipated. If what we’ve seen from his this summer is any indication, and health permitting, that will not happen. Still, the Hawks end January beginning a new five-game road trip that will bleed into February. That stretch includes games against the Phoenix Suns (Feb 1), Denver Nuggets (Feb 4), and New Orleans Pelicans (Feb 7). Petty.