After spending the past three seasons as one of the most average teams in the NBA, with a nearly .500 record from 2021-2024, fans of the Atlanta Hawks came into the new campaign hoping that they could finally make that leap to be one of the best teams in the league.
However, now 11 games into the 2024-2025 season, the Hawks seem to be continuing their trend of mediocrity with a looming danger of being even worse, as they currently have a record of 4-7.
Although the Hawks appeared to be on a downward trend after the 2023-2024 season, finishing below .500 and missing out on the playoffs, fans still held some hope for the team after they received the No.1 overall pick in the draft.
With their draft selection, they picked Zaccharie Risacher, a 6’9” small forward from France, but some fans were unsatisfied because the Hawks missed out on San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama by one year. Wembanyama was selected first in the 2023 NBA draft by the Spurs, and he looks to be an impact player and household name for a long time in the league.
Despite any pushback or criticism from fans, the Hawks started the new season off hot, winning their first two games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Charlotte Hornets.
Hawks star point guard Trae Young showed off in these games, scoring a team-high 30 points against the Nets and 38 against the Hornets. He also led the team in rebounds and assists, putting up eight and 10 against the Hornets.
After an ideal start to the season, the team started to drop off dramatically, losing their next four games. Two of those losses came back-to-back from the Washington Wizards, whose only two wins of the season have come against the Hawks.
“It looks as if the Hawks are stuck in the rebuilding process every year,” said Owen Faulk, a senior accounting major. “Their first-round pick looks promising, but they’ve been losing games that they should be winning.”
The Hawks finally caught a break from their losing streak against the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks, the current No. 3 team in the Eastern Conference.
Risacher broke out like fans were hoping he would against the Knicks, scoring a career-high 33 points, supported by a 10-assist game from Young.
However, just when it seemed the Hawks were starting to get back on track, they dropped another two games to the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls.
“The Hawks just aren’t good,” said Justin Buglion, a senior psychology major. “Maybe the new draft pick can help them out in the future, but I don’t see them winning anything any time soon with the way things are right now.”
Things only seem to be getting more difficult for the Hawks as they look further down the schedule. They will have to play the defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Young and Risacher will both need to play their best ball to pull a win out in that game.
Fortunately for the Hawks, they get a chance for redemption against the Wizards the following game, but something major will probably need to change for the team to see any sustained success. With Young mostly dominating the stat lines, the Hawks will need more players to step up to turn this season into a winning one.
