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The Atlanta Hawks Are The Hottest Team In Basketball And The NBA World Is Starting To Take Notice

Atlanta is on a five-game winning streak and taking down some of the NBA's best teams

Jackson Caudell

Dec 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after a three-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Dec 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts after a three-pointer against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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The Atlanta Hawks are surging right now and have won five straight games, including two wins over the Cavaliers and a win over the Bucks last night that ended their seven-game winning streak. They are now tied for 5th place in the Eastern Conference and playing great basketball. Not long ago, the Hawks were 7-11 and had embarrassing losses to the Wizards (twice!), a blown lead vs Portland, a loss at the buzzer to the Pistons, and a loss to the Mavs without Luka. Sure, they beat Boston on the road without Trae Young, but that looked like the outlier compared to what they were doing on a consistent basis. Over the last five games though, Atlanta has beaten Cleveland twice (Cavs only have three losses all season) and Milwaukee (who was on a seven-game winning streak heading into the game).

The main reason for optimism if you are a Hawks fan is the way the team is playing together and how much they have improved on defense. During the winning streak, no player has scored more than 26 points in a game, but they don't seem to mind. They are playing team basketball that is reminiscent of the 2014-2015 Hawks team that won a franchise record 60 games and made it to the conference finals for the first time. While this team is not going to win 60 games (I think?), they are playing the same brand of basketball, but the difference is they have a star point guard who has turned into more of a facilitator this season. It is fair to be concerned about Trae Young's shooting numbers (38% from the floor and 30% from three) and at some point they are going to need him to shoot better, but his playmaking has been fantastic and the way he is deferring to his teammates and getting them involved is something that has stood out. Young is leading the NBA in assists, averaging 12.0 per game.

The defense for the Hawks has been awesome over this stretch of games. In three of the last five games, Atlanta has held their opponent to 104 points or less and they currently rank 14th in points allowed per 100 possessions per Cleaning the Glass. Dyson Daniels leads the league in steals and has set the tone for the Hawks on that end of the court. Jalen Johnson is playing at an All-Star caliber level, and Zaccharie Risacher is making a huge impact on the defensive end. De'Andre Hunter is playing the best basketball of his career and is starting to look like a 6th Man of the Year candidate.

After beating the Bucks last night, the Hawks certainly had the attention of the NBA, something that does not happen much.

Additional Links:

NBA Analyst Shares What The Atlanta Hawks Goals Should Be At The Trade Deadline

2025 NBA Mock Draft: Atlanta Lands Five-Star Georgia Forward In Latest Mock

Atlanta Defeats Milwaukee 119-104 To End The Bucks Seven Game Winning Streak While Increasing Theirs to Five

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Jackson Caudell
JACKSON CAUDELL

Jackson Caudell has been covering Georgia Tech Athletics For On SI since March 2022 and the Atlanta Hawks for On SI since October 2023. Jackson is also the co-host of the Bleav in Georgia Tech podcast and he loves to bring thoughtful analysis and comprehensive coverage to everything that he does. Find him on X @jacksoncaudell

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