- 2 days ago
The Hawks just extended their winning streak to 11 games, but is there another level to this team? The Morning Shift discussed the differences they've seen from the team during this stretch and how they can improve.
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00:00Obviously a big win for the Hawks getting 11 straight.
00:02They've got 13 games left.
00:05We've got a couple back-to-backs coming up over the next couple of weekends,
00:09but the schedule definitely gets harder from this point on out,
00:11starting with Houston on tomorrow night.
00:15It'll be interesting to see what they can pull off,
00:17but really, really happy with, I don't know,
00:20I don't want to say really, really happy with the season because that's not it,
00:22but just really happy right now with the trajectory of this team
00:26because of the roster, because of the draft pick you'll have next year
00:29in a star-studded draft.
00:32So love what you're seeing last night from a team that was favored
00:35but didn't trail at any point.
00:39I'm actually happy with the season because if you had told me
00:43that two of the main guys you were hoping to depend on on this roster this year
00:49and you had high expectations for the outlook are no longer on the roster
00:54and have probably only played like 30 games combined at the month, maybe,
00:59not even that, and Trey and Przingis, and they both are gone,
01:03and yet you're an 11-game win streak.
01:05You're 38-31.
01:06You have a chance to get out of the play-in.
01:08I would be pretty excited.
01:10You've allowed the team to become – there's a new identity,
01:14and it's no longer is it Trey's team, is it not, what's Trey's thing?
01:21Now it is Jalen's team, and you know that, and when you move forward
01:24and whatever happens with this pick with – I know the Pelicans have suddenly
01:28decided they're going to start winning, but if Milwaukee loses more games
01:35after they tried to shut down Giannis and he refused,
01:38they could get the pick from Milwaukee instead of the Pelicans.
01:42And so it's all – I hate the way the NBA does this stuff, but it's so confusing.
01:47But in other words, you're going to – literally you could be a top six team
01:55in the league in their conference this year, end of the playoffs,
01:58and be adding a lottery pick.
02:00And this is going to be a good draft.
02:02So I would go on the other side and say, for once, I am happy.
02:06I feel like if you can – look, let's just say you – no matter what happens
02:14from here on out, but you're going to be in the play-in no matter what.
02:18It looks like – and you're going to add a lottery pick to what looks like
02:23a young core that's starting to play together, and you've got money
02:26in the offseason to spend.
02:29I think that's a – there should be some positive outlook at that.
02:32Yeah, it definitely is.
02:33But I mean, I'm the positive guy on the show, so.
02:36Yeah, I don't – I literally just said I love their trajectory.
02:39I don't know where we got our lines crying.
02:41You said I'm not happy with the season.
02:42I think that's –
02:43I don't think – because at this point, I think that if I'm to say I'm happy
02:46with the season, and then we go lose the next 13 games in a row, like,
02:48no, I'm not going to be happy with the season.
02:50Well, at this point –
02:51That's all I'm saying is it's an unfinished product.
02:53And I think that this – I think this team can hit new heights,
02:56and I do think that they could get to the sixth seed and not be a play-in
02:58and everything.
02:58So, it's – but, yeah, I'm very excited about the upward trajectory
03:02of everything going on with this franchise.
03:04I think for me, it's – who we're building around now is more exciting
03:09than it's been since Dominique was here.
03:13There hasn't – there's – right now, involved in this storyline,
03:16there's not many yeah buts.
03:18We had a yeah but for a long time as part of this team.
03:22Trey Young's a good scorer, one of the best passers in history.
03:26Yeah, but how good of a defensive team are we going to be while he's here?
03:29There's always been yeah buts.
03:31So, you think it's fair, and Dylan, I want you to chime in too.
03:34It's fair – I think it's fair to say this is the best piece you've ever –
03:39you've had to build around since Dominique was in his heyday here.
03:43I think that is fair to say.
03:45Oh, I 1,000% agree with that.
03:47That is 100% fair because he fits exactly what you need in today's NBA.
03:53You need a bigger guy who can do it all.
03:57Take it coast to coast off a rebound.
04:00Handle the ball with some effectiveness.
04:03Shoot the three ball and stretch the floor.
04:04But also be able to go in and dunk on your head top.
04:07And he can do all those things.
04:08And pass the ball as well too.
04:09Don't want to underrate his passing.
04:11So, as far as a guy to build around,
04:15he is that prototypical guy to build around right now.
04:18And you have very good pieces around him.
04:20When you talk about Nikhil Alexander-Walker,
04:21who should be undoubtedly the most improved player of the year.
04:24Dyson Daniels, who is continuing to get better,
04:26but also is a really good defender
04:28and also gives you what you need on the offensive end.
04:31And then Jonathan Kamingo, hopefully he continues to get better.
04:33He's the piece you build around.
04:34You know, we'll see what happens with Zachary Sashay's outlook.
04:37But as far as their core goes,
04:39they have a core there that you can definitely build around
04:42and continue to get better.
04:43And as far as what y'all were talking about
04:46is like the rest of the season outlook and trajectory and all that.
04:50I do agree with Mike on the front.
04:52I agree with both y'all as far as their trajectory is very positive.
04:56I don't think there's any debate about that.
04:57As far as the rest of this season goes,
05:00I do think now that they have gelled and come together,
05:03I do want to see them finish the season strong.
05:06And I do want to hopefully see them not be a playing team now.
05:10The thing about it is you do finish the season,
05:13you do have some tough games down the stretch.
05:15Because besides the one game against the Brooklyn Nets,
05:18the month of April, your last six games,
05:20again, besides that Brooklyn Nets game, they're tough.
05:22So you're going to have to prove some things down the stretch.
05:25But ultimately, like Bo, you said,
05:27they're going to be in the play-in no matter what.
05:28Because Milwaukee, the 11th team, they're not catching them.
05:31And they're going to be in the play-in no matter what.
05:33So if you do end up in the play-in,
05:35you should at least be in a favorable spot to, one,
05:37get out of the play-in.
05:38And then can you at least make some noise in the playoffs?
05:41I'm not saying they necessarily have to win a playoff series for me to be excited
05:46or feel good about what they did this season.
05:48But I at least want to see them make a series out of whoever they play.
05:52And that's one through whoever, one through one through six,
05:55or whoever they end up playing.
05:56I do think they can make a series out of it.
05:58So that's what I would want to see,
06:01at least for as far as the rest of the season.
06:02But the trajectory is, I love it.
06:04I do feel we have perfect representation of Hawks fans right now in our live chat,
06:09the yin and yang of Hawks fans.
06:11Because JR wrote,
06:12Finally, the city can be hyped about the Hawks.
06:14Woo, very excited.
06:15And then Jeffrey, right afterwards,
06:17said it'd be nice if we could actually make the playoffs instead of squeaking it.
06:20So it's like, pendulum swings.
06:23Yeah, there definitely is.
06:24And I feel that.
06:25I think that that is a good split of what Hawks fans feel right now.
06:28It's like, we want to be excited about 11 in a row,
06:30but then there's all the contingents.
06:31It's like, how good actually are we?
06:32Because we don't really know how to measure it, honestly.
06:35I mean, you're half a game out of six.
06:39And you're a game and a half out of fifth.
06:43And I understand this sentiment about not squeaking in.
06:47But you got yourself in a hole with injuries early.
06:54And with the hole, you basically rebuilt a third of your roster during the season.
07:02Because you had a plan and it went to crap.
07:09And so you had to do a pivot.
07:11Pivot.
07:12Pivot.
07:13And literally rebuild your roster to fit what your team had become.
07:18And so I think that really, honestly, on C, and I know he's gotten a lot of crap,
07:24but Quinn Snyder should get a lot of credit for this winning streak
07:27because this is the work that they put in.
07:30And I want to go back to something you pointed out, too.
07:33You have to think, yes, it would be great.
07:35And I obviously want to see the Hawks not be in the plane
07:38because they're in a position to do just that.
07:41But you also have to think and keep in perspective what you were saying, Bo,
07:44where this team came from.
07:46The fact that they're even close to getting out of the plane is amazing in my eyes
07:50because, you know, they were on, I think it was, what, an eight-game losing streak?
07:54And they were over 10 games under .500 at one point, I believe.
07:58So the fact that they've turned this all the way around
08:00to where they're now almost 10 games over .500, 11-game winning streak, obviously.
08:04The fact that they're even close to getting out of the plane, I think,
08:06is something that we can't lose sight of either.
08:08Well, and we'll see if they extend their win streak tomorrow
08:10when they take on the Rockets at eight.
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