Last night was not a good game for everyone outside of Trae and John;
it was honestly quite disappointing. The Hawks fell short of a win in an out-of-conference game to the Nuggets, and that’s putting it mildly. After a surprisingly strong 1st quarter, Atlanta completely fell apart in the 2nd. We gave up a whopping 43 points in one quarter, and once that started, the Hawks had next to no answers for the Nuggets to get back into this game.
Specifically, Nate McMillian, who has seemed to have the same game plan and rotations every game this season, had no answer. These rotations are appalling, and honestly, if the Hawks want a chance to even sniff the playoffs, head coach Nate McMillan will be the first person who needs to change the way he does things. TLC received 33 minutes in an NBA game and did about as much as you would think he would. Lou Williams and Delon Wright have proven to be a deplorable duo, and last night was the tip of the iceberg.
Prior to garbage time, Lou Williams and Delon Wright COMBINED for two points and two assists in 23 minutes of play. Guard Kevin Huerter, who has been incredibly inconsistent this season, had a rough game on both ends of the floor. This game felt like a 2019 game, with Trae and John having to carry the load for the team completely.
If there is any positive for this game, it’s that sophomore center Onyeka Onkongwu got some run in the big leagues and played well. Hopefully, he can shore up some of the issues the Hawks bench has fallen into, but that’s highly unlikely.
Overall, this game was just a sorry performance for a team with so much potential but no effort whatsoever to reach that potential. That goes for everyone on this staff. Atlanta will be playing Cleveland at State Farm on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET, on Balley Sports Network.
