NBA Thanksgiving: What every team has to be thankful for in 2018-19

Atlanta Hawks: The lowered expectations of a rebuild

The Atlanta Hawks are 3-14, losing eight straight games and 12 of their last 13. Their three wins on the season came against opponents with a combined 15-33 record and their offense is going as expected with a rookie point guard at the helm, ranking 29th.

However, the Hawks — and their fans — know this is all about the long game. Though Trae Young is only shooting 39.1 percent from the field and an ugly 24 percent from 3 on a whopping 5.9 attempts per game, he’s also quickly proven he can create his own shot, finish around the rim and find teammates with advanced court vision.

Taurean Waller-Prince may already be Atlanta’s best two-way wing, Alex Len is taking corner 3s, Kevin Huerter shows promise and John Collins is back to provide a rim-rolling threat for Young on the pick-and-roll. The Hawks are going to be bad this year, but the lowered expectations and longer timeline that come with a rebuild allow plenty of room for growing pains.