The Atlanta Hawks have a dubious honor.
After 10 games, they remain the only wins on the Washington Wizards’ record this season. The Wizards have an 0-8 record against non-Hawks opponents and for that, the basketball team from Atlanta must exact revenge.
They are well-positioned to do so, coming off a big upset win over the Boston Celtics in their last outing and with the impending return of Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter.
Hawks must snap skid vs Wizards
The duo was notably absent from the Hawks’ injury report on Thursday.
With them in the lineup alongside Clint Capela, Dyson Daniels, and Jalen Johnson, the Hawks have boasted a plus-27.5 net rating, which ranks in the 100th percentile, per Cleaning The Glass.
That has come in just 52 qualifying possessions, though, underscoring how significant their return to the court is for the Hawks.
Young played in both previous meetings with the Wizards but Hunter did not.
Will that be enough to stem the tide this time around? The Wizards won the first meeting by 2 points but enjoyed a 13-point margin of victory the second time around. They have lost every game since then and by a margin of no fewer than 9 points.
These are two teams going in different directions. Despite being banged up as they are, the Hawks have managed to go 3-3 in their last six games.
Consistency is key for Hawks amid Trae Young's return
Players like Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson continued to stuff the stat sheet even with Young sidelined. Clint Capela, Larry Nance Jr., and Onyeka Okongwu all stepped up versus the Celtics too.
It is imperative that they maintain a similar level of production with Young (and Hunter) returning to the lineup.
The final tally may end up smaller. But their effectiveness and efficiency must stay at a high level as they continue to pull themselves out of their early-season slog and injury woes.
Despite their slow start, the Hawks remain 1.5 games back of the third-place Orlando Magic.
A big part of that falls on Young. He has a tendency to throw off offensive rhythm when searching for his own offense when the ball is not falling. But his preternatural playmaking ability is the perfect way to keep the offensive momentum rolling for his teammates.
That is something Young has always said he welcomes. Coming off such promising showings by his teammates, this is the perfect time for him to show it.
Hawks must avoid the big letdown
The thing the Hawks have to guard against is another letdown. They were favorites over the Wizards in both previous meetings. They are even bigger favorites for this contest despite the outcome of those matchups.
It would be an even bigger letdown coming off such a stunning win over the defending champion Celtics.
They also do not want to be that team that cannot beat one of the dregs not only of the Eastern Conference but of the entire NBA. The Wizards are one of three teams with just two wins on the season.
All of those teams reside in the East.