The Atlanta Hawks will host the Phoenix Sun in a return to action from a brief hiatus for the former after their home date against the Houston Rockets was postponed due to inclement weather.
Atlanta lost to Phoenix in their last outing. The Suns, meanwhile, have won two more games since that one.
But this game offers an even more intriguing storyline, at least in theory.
Suns star Devin Booker was once in the same position Hawks star Trae Young has found himself in; viewed as a stat machine that could not power a team deep into the NBA playoffs as the No. 1 option.
2020-21 season robbed Hawks of dream trade scenario
Booker changed his narrative quite a bit, earning two All-NBA selections to go with his four All-Star appearances.
What really seemed to stem the tide for Booker’s narrative was a run to the Finals in 2020-21.
Notably, Young and the Hawks were making a similar push until the three-time All-Star suffered an ankle injury. They lost the Eastern Conference Finals 4-2 to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks.
How different would Young’s narrative be had he and the Hawks been able to complete the upset over Giannis Antetkoukoumpo – who also missed time – and the top-seeded Bucks?
Would Booker have found himself mired in the kind of trade rumors Young has?
Booker was on the “next stars to demand a trade” plan in the media just before that run to the Finals. Not that the Hawks were or would have been linked to him at that time, but they would he would have made a fine backcourt mate for Young.
Both are lethal on and off the ball, and their strengths would complement each other. Young’s playmaking would maximize Booker’s scoring in a way it has not been since 2021.
If only the Suns were at a different point in their trajectory, and the Hawks had their picks…
Alas, the Hawks do not control their first-round picks until 2028. And Suns owner Matt Ishbia – who took over in 2023 – is as aggressive and willing to spend as they come. Booker is in Year 1 of a four-year, $220 million contract extension.
It will be some time before his status is the subject of serious speculation again.
Rest vs rust
Typically when teams have planned days off, the question of rest versus rust emerges. The Hawks, for example, are 1-1 when they have three-plus days of rest as they do coming into this contest.
They are also 3-4 on the second night of a back-to-back and 10-11 with one day of rest.
The only setup the Hawks have a winning record is when they are coming off two days’ rest, boasting a 5-3 mark.
Their 6-12 mark against Western Conference teams also looms large even with the Hawks getting back to their friendly confines after not having a game at State Farm Arena since December 28.
Additional time off not good enough for Jalen Johnson
The biggest concern for the Hawks entering this game is the ongoing absence of forward Jalen Johnson. He is set to miss his fourth straight game and the fifth in the Hawks’ last six outings with should inflammation.
The Hawks have struggled – in the standings, on offense, and defensively – without Johnson on the floor.
There has also been little additional clarity given to this point.
Hopefully, the lack of news proves a good sign for Johnson and the Hawks. But after the way Johnson’s season went in 2023-24, it is ominous that he is dealing with a nagging injury for the second straight campaign.