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The Atlanta Hawks came out of the All-Star break with a 117-107 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jalen Johnson led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while CJ McCollum added 23 points off the bench
After the break, the Hawks find themselves in a crucial spot amongst the Eastern Conference. With 23 games remaining, Atlanta has a real chance to climb toward a play-in berth or even break into the top six. Several home games remain, but if you have watched every game this season, you might prefer the Hawks to play on the road. Atlanta is 17-15 on the road compared to 11-16 at home.
The Hawks enter the second half with a reshaped roster. Atlanta made a couple different trades at the deadline this year, which are listed below:
Traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards and received CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in return.
Traded Kristaps Porziņģis to the Golden State Warriors and received Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield in return.
Acquired Gabe Vincent and a 2032 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luke Kennard
Traded Vit Krejci to the Portland Trail Blazers for Duop Reath and two future second-round picks.
Acquired Jock Landale from the Utah Jazz in exchange for cash considerations.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Impact
At just 23 years old, Jonathan Kuminga arrives with NBA experience and a track record of production that suggests he can be a difference-maker when healthy. Across 20 games this season with Golden State, he posted 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, numbers that marked career highs in rebounds and assists. Atlanta took a flyer on Kuminga to get him out of the tense situation in Golden State, and see if he could return to his old self in a new environment.
Kuminga is explosive and can take defenders to the rim with ease. His strength and lateral quickness allow him to attack closeouts and play solid defense on the wing. Atlanta’s front office praised Kuninga’s rim pressure, rebounding, and transition potential on the both sides of the ball. The fit next to Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is very exciting.
Expectations for the Rest of the Season
Atlanta is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference and is 4 games back of 6th. With a potential top 3 draft pick in this upcoming draft, Atlanta is looking to get playoff experience for Jalen Johnson being the franchise player. The Hawks have a lot of talent and some young core pieces. If you ask Hawks fans, every one of them will say it’s playoffs or bust. Hawks fans have a right to feel this way as the last time they saw the Hawks in the playoffs was the 2022-23 season. Hang in there Hawks fans, with the young talent this front office has been able to acquire it will be fun to watch this team.
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Make sure to follow all of us over here at the Hard Knock Hawks Podcast and make sure to check out our latest episode where we dive deeper into some of the things mentioned above. As always, GO HAWKS! CAW CAW!
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