Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks interim head coach Nate McMillan didn't just win enough to push the team to the postseason, he may have won over the front office, too.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, McMillan's odds of retaining his position on a full-time basis are climbing before he makes his playoff debut against the New York Knicks this weekend. 

"There's strong momentum toward the Hawks making Nate McMillan their permanent head coach."

Our NBA Insider @ShamsCharania has the latest on Nate McMillan's status with the Hawks. pic.twitter.com/2ER45Ev9g2

— Stadium (@Stadium) May 21, 2021

"There's strong momentum toward the Hawks making Nate McMillan their permanent head coach," Charania said. 

The Hawks have gone 27-11 since McMillan took over for Lloyd Pierce on March 1 after previously starting the season 14-20.  

That not only catapulted Atlanta into the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, but helped ensure the Hawks would reach the postseason without having to compete in the league's Play-In tournament. 

"I don't think you can make a case to get off of McMillan," Charania explained. "I think their hands are tied at this point. McMillan appears to be the guy."

Charania said no extension talks with McMillan have taken place yet—and aren't likely until after the season. That gives the head coach time to focus on his first-round series against the Knicks and an opportunity to exorcise his playoff demons. 

Only once in his nine playoff appearances as a head coach has McMillan led a team past the first round—and none of his teams have done so since the Seattle Supersonics lost the Western Conference Semifinals in 2005. 

Four straight first-round losses with the Indiana Pacers cost McMillan his job at the end of the 2020-21 season. 

After joining the Hawks as an assistant on Pierce's staff during the offseason, McMillan has quickly earned an opportunity to not only prove he can coach in the playoffs, but lock up the full-time job with Atlanta in the process. 

The NBA has fined Atlanta Hawks interim coach Nate McMillan $25,000 for “detrimental public comments asserting bias by the NBA relating to the 2020-21 playoffs” after McMillan told reporters the NBA "wants" and "needs" the New York Knicks in the playoffs.

Nate McMillan was fined $25,000 for “detrimental public comments asserting bias by the NBA relating to the 2020-21 Playoffs” pic.twitter.com/9l86rGYvR4

— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 20, 2021

Atlanta is scheduled to face the Knicks in the first round of the postseason beginning Sunday night on TNT. 

Ahead of that matchup, McMillan attempted to fire up his team by imparting an underdog mentality. 

 "I've gone as far as saying the league wants this," McMillan said. "They need this, New York, this is a big market for the league, and New York has been out of the playoffs for a number of years. And this is a team that our league, they want to see—there's a huge fanbase—and they want to see New York in the playoffs."

It's not unusual for coaches, or players, to impart a David vs. Goliath mindset within the locker room. It's even less unusual for that to be the case when playing against a storied team from one of the league's biggest markets, like New York. 

Yet this isn't a typical Knicks powerhouse facing off against the Hawks. 

New York provided the Eastern Conference with its most surprising storyline as the first year of the Tom Thibodeau era produced a 41-31 finish and locked up the No. 4 seed for the rebuilding club. 

The Hawks finished as the No. 5 seed after going 41-31 as well, but the Knicks held a tiebreaker over Atlanta after sweeping the Hawks over three games in the regular season. 

That should be more than enough inspiration to fire up Atlanta for the first-round series, but McMillan went further, framing the situation as "Hawks vs. the NBA." The league felt that crossed a line. 

It may end up reinforcing McMillan's point. At this time of year, every potential slight against a club is used as fuel. It's hard to imagine the Hawks won't treat their coach's fine the same way. 

Ahead of the Atlanta Hawks first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan is playing the David vs. Goliath card to some degree.

According to Peter Botte of the New York Post, McMillan said he tried to pump up his team by telling his players that the NBA wants and needs the Knicks in the playoffs because of the massive market they represent:

"Absolutely, I've talked about that to the team a lot. Basically, I've gone as far as saying the league wants this. They need this, New York, this is a big market for the league, and New York has been out of the playoffs for a number of years.

"And this is a team that our league, they want to see—there's a huge fanbase—and they want to see New York in the playoffs."

With a record of 41-31, the Knicks finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded Hawks also went 41-31 and will look to pull off what might be considered a minor upset if they can eliminate New York in the first round.

McMillan also alluded to the notion that the NBA placed Game 1 of the Hawks vs. Knicks series on Sunday to accommodate the Knicks in some way:

"The league wants to see it, everybody wants to see this. Even to the fact that our [opening] game was moved to Sunday, they want to see this.

"So, yes, we have talked about that, about the advantages of this situation and some things that we're going to have to face, going into [Game 1], with everyone picking New York to win and a lot of folks wanting to see New York in the playoffs. It's a battle, it's a challenge, just playing New York, all that comes with it. … They've had a really good season, and I think the NBA is excited about having them back in the playoffs."

The Knicks have unquestionably been one of the best stories in the NBA this season, as little was expected of them after toiling near the bottom of the Eastern Conference for many years.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau has seemingly changed the culture, though, and players like Julius Randle and RJ Barrett have blossomed under his leadership.

The Knicks are also among the hottest teams in the NBA entering the playoffs, having won three in a row and four of their past five games. They also enjoyed a nine-game winning streak in April.

Lost in all of that is how well the Hawks have been playing. Since the firing of head coach Lloyd Pierce after a 14-20 start, the Hawks have gone 27-11 with McMillan at the helm. They're also riding high entering the postseason with four wins in a row and seven wins in their past eight games.

Rising stars Trae Young and John Collins lead the way for the Hawks, but the team is deep, with significant contributions from youngsters De'Andre Hunter and Kevin Huerter as well as veterans Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari and Lou Williams.

McMillan is likely correct in his belief that the NBA would prefer for the Knicks to win the first-round series based on what it could do for television ratings and overall interest, but his Hawks team is undoubtedly talented enough to play spoiler.

The Atlanta Hawks will be playing postseason basketball for the first time in four years after coming back from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Washington Wizards 120-116 on Wednesday.

🚨 THE PAC IS BACK. 🚨

Playoff basketball is back. We have officially clinched a top 6 playoff spot. pic.twitter.com/IMzDFbWvvs

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 13, 2021

Below is a look at the latest Eastern Conference standings with four-plus days of regular-season basketball left. The top six finishers will earn automatic playoff berths. The next four teams in the standings will head to a play-in tournament to find out the final two East playoff seeds.

The top five Eastern Conference teams have now clinched playoff berths, with the New York Knicks the next team in line to do so with one more win or a Boston Celtics loss.

The Nos. 6 through 9 teams can do no worse than a play-in berth, and the Washington Wizards will head to the play-in competition with one win or one Chicago Bulls loss.

                         

Eastern Conference

1. Philadelphia 76ers: 47-22

2. Brooklyn Nets: 46-24

3. Milwaukee Bucks: 44-25

4. Atlanta Hawks: 39-31

5. Miami Heat: 38-31

6. New York Knicks: 38-31

7. Boston Celtics: 35-35

8. Charlotte Hornets: 33-36

9. Indiana Pacers: 33-36

10. Washington Wizards: 32-38

11. Chicago Bulls: 29-40

12. Toronto Raptors: 27-42

13. Cleveland Cavaliers: 22-48

14. Orlando Magic: 21-48

15. Detroit Pistons: 20-50

                  

Atlanta made the playoffs for 10 straight years from 2008-2017, with its best season coming in 2014-15, when the team went 60-22, earned the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed and reached the conference finals.

However, that team broke apart within a few years, and the bottom fell out in 2017-18 as Atlanta went 24-58.

The Hawks then began the rebuilding process, adding Trae Young and John Collins via the 2018 NBA draft. They selected other first-rounders in 2019 and 2020 who currently hold rotation spots, including De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish. They also added Houston Rockets big man Clint Capela via trade.

Atlanta struggled over the last two years as all the pieces came together, with the team going 29-53 in 2018-19 and 20-47 in 2019-20.

The 2020-21 season opened with promise, but the Hawks struggled out of the gate and started just 14-20.

Lloyd Pierce, who took over for Mike Budenholzer when the coach left for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018, was relieved from his duties after the poor start. He was replaced by Nate McMillan, who previously led the Seattle SuperSonics, Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers.

McMillan's 17-year head coaching career now includes 10 seasons ending in the playoffs, and he also has a winning lifetime record of 686-599.

The 56-year-old, who most recently guided the Pacers from 2016-2020, clearly had a positive impact on the team, which rolled off eight straight wins to start his Atlanta tenure.

That placed the 22-20 Hawks fourth in a top-heavy Eastern Conference dominated by the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.

The middle of the conference pack enjoyed more successful second halves to their regular seasons, and the Hawks didn't stay scorching hot forever.

But they still kept pace for a playoff berth, going 17-11 after that initial eight-game win streak. Now they're safely in the playoffs.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young's ankle injury suffered Wednesday in New York has been diagnosed as a Grade 2 sprain, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:

An MRI revealed a Grade 2 lateral sprain on Atlanta All-Star guard Trae Young's left ankle, source tells ESPN. He's expected to be able to return to play once swelling and discomfort are gone. Best possible news after Wednesday night's injury at MSG.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 22, 2021

The 2019-20 All-Star selection has been mostly durable during the early stages of his career and only missed eight of a possible 149 games over his first two seasons. He'd been sidelined a few times during the current campaign with various ailments prior to landing awkwardly on his left foot on a floater in the lane against the Knicks.

Lou Williams figures to see the biggest uptick in minutes as he runs the Hawks offense with Young unavailable. It'll also create more opportunities for reserves Brandon Goodwin and Skylar Mays as part of the backcourt rotation.

Young has emerged as one of the NBA's most dynamic offensive playmakers since being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2018 draft. He's averaging 25.3 points (15th in the league) and 9.6 assists (third) across 54 appearances during the 2020-21 season.

Atlanta has turned a corner following a three-year playoff drought, and Young's work leading the offense is a major part of that success. Having him healthy down the stretch and for a potential playoff run is key.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young suffered a left ankle injury Wednesday night against the New York Knicks.

Young was helped back to the locker room late in the third quarter while putting minimal pressure on the joint amid a 20-point, 14-assist outing. The Hawks quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.

Trae Young was in pain after an awkward landing on his ankle

Hope he’s okay 🙏 https://t.co/l7YToTYMxT

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 22, 2021

 After Atlanta lost in overtime, 137-127, the team announced X-rays were negative and that Young would receive an MRI on Thursday.

The 22-year-old missed one game as a result of knee soreness in early April, while injuries to his calf and adductor also limited him earlier in the year. He missed just eight games in his first two NBA seasons combined.

For the season, Young is averaging 25.4 points and 9.5 assists per game. He's helped Atlanta get back into playoff contention after finishing near the bottom of the standings the past few years, with the 32-27 Hawks currently fifth in the East.

If Young misses time—the Hawks' next game is Friday versus the Miami Heat—look for Lou Williams, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter to see more time.

The Atlanta Hawks will re-evaluate forward Cam Reddish as he continues to recover from a nonsurgical procedure on his Achilles.

"Cam Reddish (right Achilles soreness) has progressed his rehabilitation activities to include spot shooting and will be introduced to straight line running later this week," the Hawks said Tuesday. "An update will be provided in two weeks."

The Duke product hasn't quite hit his stride in the NBA, averaging 10.7 points on 37.8 percent shooting through 84 games with the Hawks, who drafted him with the No. 10 pick in 2019.

The 21-year-old's slow progression has been hindered lately by the Achilles injury, which kept him out of six games in the first half of the year prior to his procedure. That put him in a walking boot and forced him to miss 18 games and counting.

The 29-25 Hawks will look to Danilo Gallinari to fill the hole at small forward, though the veteran's stats aren't much better than what Reddish has produced thus far. Gallinari is averaging 13.4 points through 39 games.

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela will miss Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with left Achilles soreness, the team announced.

Capela is posting 15.0 points on 59.2 percent shooting, with a league-leading 14.2 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game for the 27-24 Hawks.

The 26-year-old averaged 13.9 points on 62.9 percent shooting, 13.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the Houston Rockets in 2019-20, who traded him to the Hawks on Feb. 5 of last season.

Capela did not play for Atlanta last year as he recovered from plantar fasciitis and a bone bruise in his heel, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.

When healthy, Capela is a rebounding and blocking force down low who can routinely finish off his passes and lobs for easy buckets.

Without Capela, the Hawks usually have numerous options to fill his court time. One is playing power forward John Collins more at the 5, but Collins is also out with an ankle injury.

Instead, they can turn to rookie center Onyeka Okongwu.

Okongwu started in Capela's place when the big man missed a Jan. 24 game against the Milwaukee Bucks with right hand soreness, posting four points and three blocks. Okongwu has averaged 3.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game this season.

Trae Young has put up impressive numbers to begin his NBA career, but there are still doubts about his upside in the league.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst explained the situation on The Hoop Collective.

"He's a spectacular player, who is an excellent, excellent shooter at times, but he has games where he's off and doesn't contribute," Windhorst said (39:00). "Then he's a liability on defense, which gets the Hawks eaten alive all the time."

The discussion came after three ESPN writers (Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton and Mike Schmitz) ranked the Atlanta Hawks star as the No. 16 player in the league under 25 years old.

"I do think there's some concern out there about what kind of a difference-making player he can be," Windhorst added (43:33).

Young quickly lived up to expectations as the No. 5 pick of the 2018 NBA draft, earning an All-Star selection in his second season after being a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award behind Luke Doncic in Year 1.

The point guard finished the 2019-20 season ranked fourth in the NBA with 29.6 points per game and second in the league with 9.3 assists per game.

His continues to impress in 2020-21 (25.2 PPG, 9.4 APG), and the Hawks are in playoff contention for the first time in his career.

Despite the success, there are still doubts about his impact based on the inconsistency and defensive issues. Young has a plus-5.2 offensive box plus/minus this season but he's minus-1.7 on the defensive end, per Basketball Reference.

Windhorst said the Hawks will still likely offer Young a max contract extension this offseason as the squad continues to build around the 22-year-old. The question is whether he is good enough to lead a team to a championship.

Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young will miss at least one game because of a knee injury.

The Hawks announced that Young has been ruled out for Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans with soreness in his left knee. 

Young played 35 minutes in Thursday's double-overtime win against the San Antonio Spurs. He finished the game with 28 points and 12 assists. 

Injuries haven't been a big problem for Young throughout his NBA career. The third-year guard missed eight games in his first two seasons. 

So far this season, Young has appeared in 46 of Atlanta's first 48 games. The 22-year-old missed the Hawks' 112-91 loss to the Utah Jazz on Feb. 4 with a calf injury. 

Young has been the driving force behind the Hawks offense since his rookie season in 2018-19. He is averaging 25.5 points and 9.6 assists per game, in addition to shooting a career-high 36.3 percent from three-point range. 

The Hawks have dealt with their share of injuries, notably to key free-agent additions Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic. That duo has only played 59 games combined. 

Atlanta has played better of late with 10 wins in 14 games since Nate McMillan was named interim head coach on March 1 after Lloyd Pierce was fired. 

Until Young is able to return, the Hawks will turn to Lou Williams as the starter at point guard.