Atlanta Hawks: 5 most compelling games for the 2017-18 season

Atlanta Hawks: 5 most compelling games of the 2017-18 season

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Expectations point more toward a run at the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft than a playoff push for the Atlanta Hawks next season, but here are five intriguing matchups for the team during 2017-18.

The Atlanta Hawks were already projected to have the worst season among all 30 NBA teams, and the release of the 2017-18 NBA schedule did little to dissuade the notion.

After parting ways with four-time All-Star Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard and Tim Hardaway Jr. over the summer, the team won’t be able to show off the newly remodeled Philips Arena until 10 days after the regular season begins.

The renovations of the arena totaled $192.5 million, but fans won’t be able to see the overhauls of home court, or the Hawks’ roster, until the sixth game of the season.

No other team has to wait longer for a home game than Atlanta next season, and out of town audiences may not get a glimpse of them at all. The rebuilding Hawks were completely ignored by the trio of national broadcasters (ABC, ESPN and TNT) when the NBA released its full schedule for the upcoming season.

Atlanta is one of three teams without a nationally televised game scheduled for the 2017-18 season. The other two also reside in the Eastern Conference, as the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets are not slated to appear on any of the primary networks.

Watching a Hawks game may be a challenge next season, but here are five games worth tuning into next season.

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