In a roller coaster-like season, Atlanta now seems to be regaining the adrenaline rush of the climb. Their clear victory against a very serious candidate for the title – the Suns, until then leaders in the West – on the night of Wednesday to Thursday (135-103) again dangles the players with the ambition of the franchise: to return to play-offs, four years later.
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A recruitment full of hope
In December, interest was in Georgia. Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk was drawing attention to Georgia with a flattering recruit. Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Rajon Rondo (since traded to the Clippers in March), Kris Dunn and Danilo Gallinari then landed in Atlanta during the free agency. After another difficult season (20 wins and 47 losses), the Hawks then gave themselves the means so that the receptions at the State Farm Arena were no longer a walk for visitors.
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A habit since Atlanta’s last playoff appearance in 2017, the franchise has never exceeded 30 wins per season. If young talents have managed to hatch like John Collins or Trae Young, the lack of confirmed veterans and stability had never allowed, until then, to tip the Hawks into the positive.
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Nate McMillan to the Hawks rescue
The cascade of injuries of a good part of the rookies except Clint Capela directly weighed down the start of the season in Atlanta. But absences do not explain everything. The Athletic reported in March that John Collins and Trae Young were totally out of step with Lloyd Pierce’s approach. The players blamed the 44-year-old coach for bad choices in the end of the game and a lack of listening to certain elements of the workforce.
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In this hot context, the Hawks executive had to resolve to fire Pierce – who had officiated for three seasons in Georgia – and move on to an experienced man, Nate McMillan, as the franchise was in 11th place in the league. Eastern Conference. Hired on an interim basis on March 2, McMillan had previously led the Pacers four times in a row in the first round of the play-offs.
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The arrival of the former Seattle Sonics player, with twenty years of coaching experience, has been a lifesaver for the franchise. Eight consecutive victories, a newfound confidence, and a new positive “karma”, as in the buzzer victory against Toronto (121-120) in mid-March. With an infirmary also emptying, the Hawks went from eleventh to fifth place in the East. A dynamic of victories which owes a lot to the awakening of the expected executives of the franchise.
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Clint Capela, King of Atlanta Painting
Symbol of this success, the pivot Clint Capela embodies both the serenity of experience and a talent still to be polished, from the top of his 25 years. In Atlanta, the Swiss flourish. His association with the explosive point guard Trae Young gave the Hawks an offensive card: pick’n’roll play. A demonic pattern that can be found in the statistics. Capela has his best season (15.3 points and 14.4 rebounds on average per game) and takes with him another pearl of the workforce: John Collins.
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With a record of 37 wins for 30 losses, the Hawks are sure to end the season with a positive record, a first since 2017. Currently 5th in the East, Atlanta can even hope to pass the Knicks (37-29), fourth of the Conference. The Nate McMillan bet is successful for the franchise, it only remains to materialize this takeoff by going as far as possible in the play-offs.
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