The Atlanta Hawks have lost a lot of ground over the past two-plus weeks, dropping six of their last eight games. They face a Brooklyn Nets team that beat them 122-114 in mid-March, and they have additional pressure from the top team on their heels.
The Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat on Wednesday, moving to within one half-game of the Hawks for the No. 8 seed.
Chicago got what ABC 7’s Mark Schanowski called a “sensational” game from Josh Giddey.
Losing out on the No. 8 seed – after having already surrendered the No. 7 spot to the Orlando Magic – could prove devastating for the Hawks. It could mean the difference between what has been a winning environment for them and the alternative.
“Get to eighth,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger, a former executive with the Memphis Grizzlies, wrote on March 7.
“There’s a big difference between landing on the 7/8 side of the draw — and thus needing to win just once to make the playoffs — and finishing on the 9/10 side and needing to win two straight to snag the eighth seed. Atlanta is a half game up on Orlando and a game behind Miami through Thursday. Reeling in at least one of them would make their April pathway to the playoffs a bit less stressful.”
The Hawks’ ultimate goal is to make the playoffs.
“It’s nowhere below the playoffs. That’s got to be our focus,” Young said on the “From The Point” podcast on February 19. “When we made these moves, and we got guys, obviously, from the Cavs – who were the No. 1 team at the time. And then you bring in T-Mann who’s – I don’t even think he’s ever not been in the playoffs. You got winners around you, so it’s like you got to win. You got to be in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”
The Hawks will close out the season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Magic before heading to the Play-In Tournament. It will mark their fourth straight appearance in the quasi-postseason series.
In the previous three instances, the Hawks have made the playoffs twice, failing to do so for the first time since 2019-20 last season.
Young is bought in, and the Hawks have a long-term plan in place.
However, they wanted to make the playoffs and were in the driver’s seat up until recently. It would only add insult to literal injury for them to endure another swift exit, especially if they have to play two games to do it.