Key Takeaways From the Atlanta Hawks NBA Cup Run

The Hawks fell to the Bucks in the NBA Cup Semifinals, but this experience should pay off for the Hawks as the season goes on

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) react during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images / Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks battled the Milwaukee Bucks all the way to the final whistle in yesterday's NBA Cup semifinal, but they came up just short in the 108-100 loss and now their run in the NBA Cup is over. Atlanta will go back to the regular season and hope to continue their climb in the Eastern Conference Standings. Despite the loss, there is plenty to like from what the Hawks showed.

While it is not 100% a playoff atmosphere, the NBA Cup is as close as you are going to get to playoff-type games in the regular season. Why is that important? Because this group has not played in those kinds of games yet together. That is one takeaway from their NBA Cup run, but what are some others?

1. Trae Young still shows up in big games

Young has not been very efficient this season in terms of shooting, but he leads the league in assists and has been effective in other ways. The bigger the game though, the better Young played and that has to be comforting for the Hawks to know that he can still do things like that. Young has had plenty of big game moments before in the playoffs, including the 2021 run to the Eastern Conference and the game winning shot in Boston in 2023. Again, NBA Cup games are not playoff games, but they are as close as you are going to get in the regular season. Young was awesome against the Knicks on Wednesday and awesome against Milwaukee yesterday, showing he can still step up in the biggest of games.

2. Atlanta can win with its defense

The Hawks defense has been much better this season and it was the main reason they won several games in the NBA Cup. Despite the loss yesterday, Atlanta held Milwaukee to 108 points and in the previous game vs the Knicks, they held them to 100 points. While the offense is still figuring things out, it is nice to know that Atlanta can lean on its defense while they do that.

3. The Hawks have three-point shooting problems

This was one of the concerns with the Hawks coming into the season and even in their wins, the shooting woes from three-point range showed. The Hawks have been able to shoot well at the rim and on other shots, but Milwaukee was able to take that part of their game away yesterday and when you combine that with poor three-point shooting, you get a loss. The Hawks are 24th in the NBA in three-point percentage after yesterday's game.

4. The bench remains one of the NBA's best

Atlanta has one of the best three man bench units in the league with De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Onyeka Okongwu. While finding that 9th guy has been a bit of a challenge, Atlanta has been able to beat teams with the trio of Hunter, Bogdanovic, and Okongwu and having that kind of depth is going to be crucial for Atlanta later this season.

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RECAP: Atlanta's NBA Cup Run Ends in 110-102 Semifinals Loss to Milwaukee