Atlanta Hawks: 3 goals leading into the playoffs

The Atlanta Hawks have had a roller-coaster season. They won the offseason with so many big-name veteran players coming to the Hawks. Danilo Gallinari came to the franchise through a sign and trade with the OKC Thunder.

The mistake made by the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings in regards to Bogdan Bogdanovic was a boon for the Hawks. Instead of Bogdanovic being a member of the Bucks, the Hawks were able to swoop in and lock up Bogdanovic long-term.

They also signed Solomon Hill, Rajon Rondo, Tony Snell, and Kris Dunn. They also drafted Onyeka Okongwu, Skylar Mays, and Nathan Knight. The trade they made last season for Clint Capela has also born fruit this season. All of these players were added to the core group of Trae Young, John Collins, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter.

The Atlanta Hawks made two in-season adjustments which changed everything

The Hawks sacked Lloyd Pierce as their head coach two games prior to the All-Star break. They went from 11th in the league to sit in the fourth seed with Nate McMillan at the helm. They also traded Rondo for Lou Williams which helped fix the scoring drop-off when Young was on the bench.

Where the roller coaster element comes into their season is the Hawks have had a plethora of injuries. With the incredible coaching of McMillan and the depth of the team, they have exceeded expectations. Many had them at the play-in tournament level, the Hawks believed differently and have qualified directly for the post-season.

Let’s look at three goals for the Hawks coming into the playoffs