Atlanta Hawks: 5 reasons they won’t make the playoffs in 2017-18

The Atlanta Hawks have qualified for the NBA postseason in each of the past 10 years, the second-longest active streak in the NBA. Here are five reasons why Atlanta’s playoff run is unlikely to continue.

The last time the Atlanta Hawks failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs, in 2006-07, the Florida Gators became the first team since Duke to win consecutive NCAA basketball titles, Peyton Manning won his first Super Bowl and LeBron James had never been crowned as the Most Valuable Player in the league.

Atlanta coach Mike Woodson was on the hot seat for failing to lead the team into the postseason for the third consecutive year, and the team ranked last in the NBA in scoring, pouring in 93.7 points per game.

Ever since, the Hawks have won an average of 45.4 games per season, transforming into one of the most consistent teams in the Eastern Conference, even though it hasn’t selected in the lottery of the NBA Draft since 2007.

Part of the reason Atlanta has managed to sustain its success has been the ability of the franchise to adapt to new eras, going through three coaches, dozens of players and quickly replacing All-Star caliber players with budding stars.

Four years ago, the Hawks turned Paul Millsap from a good starter in the league into a perennial All-Star, a feat the team will need to achieve in 2017-18 to keep their postseason run alive.

Millsap, Dwight Howard and Tim Hardaway Jr., three of the four leading scorers on the team, are no longer with the organization and the Hawks are in the midst of a youth movement. Here are five reasons why the Atlanta Hawks won’t reach the playoffs in 2017-18.