The Atlanta Hawks are an imperfect squad. They're a quality group, with many talented weapons, but have undeniable flaws that could prevent their pursuit of contention. That's the end goal, after all.
Some teams expose their weaknesses more than others. The Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets were simply unable to. Atlanta's 2-0 start was no coincidence. They're better suited for competitive play in the immediate than them.
They're not, however, on a better trajectory than the Houston Rockets - who have convincingly defeated them in consecutive outings. The Hawks have some work to do, and luckily, they shouldn't have to run into their fiercest competitor once more.
Hawks and Rockets - a completed series just one week into the season
It's incredibly rare that two teams face each other for the final time, not even a full week into the year, but that's the case this time around with Atlanta and Houston.
The Rockets are probably upset. Despite the Hawks being a relentless squad that never gives up on a game, they've had the obvious upper-hand in each of their two early-season meetings. They certainly wouldn't mind to play them a few more times.
Atlanta, on the other hand, couldn't be more thrilled. The only time the Hawks and Rockets could possibly see each other again would be in either the NBA Cup Championship or the NBA Finals.
While that could be the case, the odds don't favor it. At all.
Again, this is a talented Hawks squad, but they're missing some crucial pieces to be placed in that contender tier. Houston, however, has a golden opportunity to jump into that group of teams as soon as this year. Atlanta may be a season or two away.
Especially after the injuries that just took place in Oklahoma City, their path to the finals has never been more clear.
Houston and Atlanta's different timelines make them a nightmare matchup
For Atlanta, that is.
Houston is simply better than the Hawks. They've got a proven go-to scorer in Kevin Durant, as well as a quality, dynamic big man in with real positional size in Alperen Sengun.
Their defensive ace, Amen Thompson, has a strong argument to be one of the most athletic players in the world. It's no secret as to how they're finding this early-season success.
With their two in-season meetings out of the way, Atlanta can turn their attention to climbing the Eastern Conference standings, not worrying about an out-of-conference opponent that has their number.
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