What didn't the Atlanta Hawks go through during the 2025-26 regular season? It's a question that's difficult to answer, as they lost multiple All-Stars to extended injury absences, traded their franchise player, approached the end of February several games below .500, and then won 19 of 24 games to clinch a playoff berth.
Compounded by the fact that the Hawks made three in-season trades in total, this team has developed a strength that makes them experienced beyond their years: Perspective.
Atlanta has a relatively young core with several players currently appearing in the playoffs for the first time in their respective careers. Despite their inexperience, they've already shown remarkable resilience to come from behind and win Game 2 against the New York Knicks on the road.
Per Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder spoke about the wild ride Atlanta took to the playoffs and how he believes the players' hard work is paying off in the playoffs.
“The guys that have been here through that — Jalen [Johnson], Nickeil [Alexander-Walker], Dyson [Daniels] and Onyeka [Okongwu], those guys in particular — you know, to see them kind of hang in there and believe in what we were trying to do foundationally and kind of our identity, and get rewarded for it."
Snyder continued, noting that he refuses to downplay his team's immediate potential simply because they're inexperienced.
“We're happy to be here, grateful to be here and all that, but at the same time, I just don't want to put a ceiling on this group. We are young. First time, kind of, our core guys have been in this situation. But at the same time, you know, I think it's also true that you can embrace the opportunity to have success in the playoffs, as well.”
It's a mentality that seems to be driving Atlanta toward overachieving, as their refusal to quit has turned inexperience into a non-factor through the first two games of their series against the Knicks.
Hawks gained unique exerience through a tumultuous regular season
Game 1 ultimately ended in New York's favor, but Atlanta showed no sign of quitting. They scored just 19 points in the third quarter and later trailed by a matching 19 fairly late in the fourth, but went on a 13-2 run that nearly resulted in an unbelievable comeback win.
Game 2 was a similar story with a different ending, as the Hawks trailed by 12 points early in the fourth quarter, were behind for 91 percent of the game, and ultimately came back to win 107-106.
It was a resilient victory for a team with three starters who had never appeared in the playoffs before 2025-26. It was also a statement that experience can be gained in different ways, even if the postseason is a unique environment to operate in.
That experience includes the fact that Atlanta went 2-11 between Dec. 1 and Dec. 29, 3-6 between Jan. 3 and Jan. 19, and 3-6 between Jan. 29 and Feb. 20—and still won 46 games.
Hawks traded their franchise player, battled injuries, learned resilience
That's the epitome of what makes this group so special, as the Hawks are built to endure. Some might call them streaky, but this young core watched franchise player Trae Young enter training camp as the go-to player and then find himself traded to the Washington Wizards after missing all but 10 games before then.
With a learning curve they refused to be afraid of, they pivoted to playing through Jalen Johnson and won their most regular season games in a decade.
With this in mind, perhaps it shouldn't surprise anyone that the Hawks are so comfortable with playing from behind in the playoffs. This is a team that refuses to accept defeat, and has bounced back from a mountain of adverse conditions.
Whether or not the Hawks ultimately advance beyond the first round of the playoffs, their mental toughness and uncanny ability to bounce back from adversity have prepared them for this moment.
Add us as a preferred source on Google