The Atlanta Hawks face the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Quarterfinals on Monday.
The Hawks have been off for two days. Hopefully, that was enough. They are 2-1 this season when they were coming off as much rest entering tonight’s matchup.
Their underlying concern has to be three-time All-Star Trae Young. Young has missed but one game, with an Achilles issue, which drew the ire of and a fine from the league. He has been available every game since, though he has been listed on the injury report.
Trae Young’s lingering Achilles issue could be concerning for Hawks
There is some credence to the idea that the Hawks are trolling the league. However, the same change in Young’s play that has warranted praise amid the Hawks’ recent surge could also indicate just how real the injury actually is.
Young’s efficiency has not recovered since his return.
It was already following his career-long trend of peaks and valleys from season to season – this is a down year.
Still, Young went from shooting 39% overall and 33.3% from deep before the injury-related absence to a .379/.287 split after. At the same time, his assists have increased from 11.5 APG over the first 11 games to 12.8 in his last 13 appearances.
To be clear, Young has still been incredibly effective.
However, the more you drill down, the less his flip seems like a coincidence and more like a conscientious effort to mitigate some of the lost burst from the nagging ailment.
Young is listed as probable for tonight’s Emirates NBA Cup matchup against the New York Knicks, but just how healthy he is remains unknown. The Hawks will need him as the prepare for an emotionally-charged outing on Wednesday.
Young Hawks cannot get caught up in the atmosphere
The Hawks are stepping into a hornets’ nest. Madison Square Garden is always rocking, and the Hawks and Knicks’ rivalry – thanks in large part to Young – has only added to the energy in recent years.
That cannot be what swings the game away from the Hawks.
They have to come out strong on both ends of the floor, which has been an issue far too often this season.
That becomes more of a challenge if Young cannot generate his own offense with the same effectiveness as he usually does. But the other Hawks cannot get wrapped up in the moment at any point and do something out of character.
The Hawks have proven they can hang with anybody when they do not beat themselves.
The Knicks are 5-1 in their last six games and coming off one day of rest. They could also still be salty over their loss to the Hawks in Atlanta after which Young trolled Knicks fans.
There is financial motivation, getting back in the win column, as well as bragging rights in one of the more entertaining modern rivalries. All of that combined sets the stage for another thriller for the ages.
Hawks know next opponent regardless of outcome vs Knicks
There have been sentiments about the rest advantage teams who failed to qualify for this round of the NBA Cup, many of whom still drew matchups against lesser-caliber opponents, per NBA insider Jake Fischer on December 10.
For the Hawks, they can take solace in knowing who they will face win or lose versus the Knicks.
A win means the Hawks face the Milwaukee Bucks.
If the Hawks lose, they will take on the Orlando Magic, who rank higher than the Bucks in the season-long standings but are more banged up. The Hawks certainly have the former outcome in mind, though, and they beat the Bucks in their first matchup this season.