All Hawks

Four Takeaways from Hawks Win Over Warriors

The Hawks improved to 37-37.

Pat Benson

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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Last night the basketball world was treated to a highly-competitive game between the Hawks and Warriors. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 37 points, while Trae Young tallied 33 points and 15 assists in the Hawks 121-110 victory. Below are four key takeaways from the high-scoring shootout.

Takeaways From Hawks Victory Over Warriors

Klay Thompson Is Back

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

It's no secret that I wanted the Hawks to win last night. But my second hope for the game was that Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson would get off a vintage performance.

'The Electrician' did just that, scoring 37 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. As I wrote yesterday, it had been 1,208 days since Thompson last played the Hawks. After overcoming an ACL tear then an Achilles rupture, and missing over two seasons, one-half of the 'Splash Brothers' is finally back.

Thompson logged 40 minutes last night and still shot an efficient 14-26 from the field and 9-16 from deep. In fact, his 9 three-pointers tied the record for opposing players three-point shots made against the Hawks. Sheesh. Klay Thompson is back, and the basketball world is a better place for it.

Trae Young Never Left

Hawks guard Trae Young dribbles past Warriors guard Klay Thompson.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks have been wildly inconsistent this season. They are 13-23 on the road and cover the spread just 41.9% of the time. There has only been one component of their team that's been consistent - Trae Young.

The All-Star point guard leads the NBA in total points and assists. He averages 28.1 points and 9.5 assists per game. Even if the Hawks get bounced out of the Play-In Tournament, which is highly likely, 'Ice Trae' deserves to be All-NBA First Team.

With 8 games remaining in the regular season, Young has a chance to make individual history. Keep in mind that he's only 23 years old and has little help surrounding him. This young man should be celebrated.

Hawks Health Concerning

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Don't get me wrong; the Hawks cannot use injuries as an excuse for underperforming this season. Every team in the league deals with injuries, and several contenders have had worse luck with health than the Hawks.

However, they have dug themselves in such a hole that they now need everyone available. John Collins is out indefinitely with foot and finger injuries. Then last night, Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee soreness) was out. Additionally, Kevin Huerter left the game briefly with another shoulder issue, and Danilo Gallinari exited the game completely with an elbow injury.

Couple the Hawks injuries with Coach McMillan's insistence on a 9-man rotation, and it spells problems. This is one of the many reasons why the front office should have added depth at the trade deadline. But I digress.

Onyeka Okongwu Not a Starter (Yet)

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) drives on Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Hawks fans can't wait for Onyeka Okongwu to become the starting center. The other night I tweeted something snarky about Clint Capela's regression this season. Well, 'The Swiss Bank' made me eat my words as he scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds last night.

On the flip side, Okongwu didn't take a shot and grabbed 5 rebounds in 17 minutes of action. There is no doubt that 'Double O' is the center of the future for the Hawks, but he's just not there yet.

Speaking of bench players, the Hawks second unit loses a lot of punch when Bogdan Bogdanovic isn't available. Coach McMillan rode the starters heavily last night, and you can't blame him. There is very little depth on this team when Okongwu isn't producing and Bogdanovic is out.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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