Five Biggest Challenges on Hawks Schedule

Analyzing the five biggest challenges on the Atlanta Hawks 2022-23 schedule.

© John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

After several days of leaks, the NBA released the entire 2022-23 season schedule on Wednesday afternoon. The later-summer tradition is always exciting. Players, fans, and media scour their team's schedule and begin circling important dates.

Usually, after the second or third scan, everyone starts noticing the more challenging stints on the schedule. No team has the perfect schedule. Luckily for the Atlanta Hawks, they have the fifth-easiest strength of schedule, according to Hardwood Paroxysm.

But every team is going to lose games. Injuries, blown calls, poor shooting nights, or general fatigue will strike frequently throughout the marathon 82-game season. Today, we try to forecast the five worst parts of the Hawks schedule.

November 28 at Philadelphia 76ers

The Hawks face the 76ers four times in the 2022-23 NBA season / © Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The greatest minds #HawksTwitter has to offer are in agreement that November is the toughest month on the schedule. They are correct. Not only are the Hawks on the road in just under half the contests, but they face a gauntlet of contenders.

Seven of the Hawks 15 games in November are against teams that finished in the top four of the Eastern Conference last season. But it is the Nov. 28 matchup at Philadelphia that is the most worrisome. 

It is the second night of a back-to-back (Hawks host the Heat on Nov. 27), and it is the Hawks third game against the 76ers in 18 days. The penultimate game of November feels almost like a scheduled loss.

January - Road Games

The Hawks start 2023 with a 5-game road trip down the coast of California / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There are a lot worse situations in life than a California road trip in early January. However, seven of the Hawks first nine games to start the new year are on the road. With ten road games on the schedule, January is by far the most travel-heavy month on the Hawks schedule.

Last season, the Hawks were an abysmal 16-25 on the road during the regular season. None of the other Playoff/Play-In teams in either conference had a road record that bad. If the Hawks could win six of the ten road games in January, that would be a success. 

January 14 at Toronto Raptors

The Hawks only face the Raptors three times in the 2022-23 NBA season / © John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors beat the Hawks in three out of their four matchups last season, including both games north of the border. The January 14th contest on this year's schedule between the Hawks and Raptors looks especially troublesome. 

Not only is it the Hawks seventh road game out of eight contests, but it's the second night of a back-to-back. After a road game in Indiana, the Hawks have to make their way through customs and prepare for another game in less than 24 hours.

February 1-4 at Phoenix Suns, at Utah Jazz, at Denver Nuggets

The Hawks play five Western Conference teams in nine days / © Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports

Starting on January 30, the Hawks face five Western Conference teams on the road in nine days. It is the second of the two 5-game road trips on the Hawks schedule and by far the most challenging stretch of games.

Sandwiched between two games on opposite ends of the country are matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Denver Nuggets. The Hawks went 1-5 against those teams last season. Winning these sorts of games builds confidence in a young team and helps achieve the greater goal of avoiding the Play-In Tournament.

March 26 Memphis Grizzlies

Both of the games between the Hawks and Grizzlies will air on NBATV / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The only home game on the schedule that makes the list is the March 26 matchup against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies. It is the second night of a back-to-back for the Hawks, whereas the Grizzlies will be well-rested.

The Grizzlies have March 25 off, which comes after three consecutive home games (two of which are against the lowly Houston Rockets). The Hawks have relied on late-season playoff pushes for the past two seasons. Hopefully, they do not find themselves in that position once again when they face the Grizzlies on March 26.

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