The Atlanta Hawks (15-17) have problems and I love it.
The birds lost at home to Miami last night, 126-111. Tonight, in the second of a back-to-back, they’ll welcome the New York Knicks (21*-9). This is the first meeting of the season between these two teams. They’ll square up again on January 2, in NYC.
The Knicks’ last game against the Hawks was a 121-105 win in Atlanta on April 5, 2025. The Knicks took command in the second quarter with a 40-22 run, which they maintained for the rest of the game. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for New York with 30-11 double-double, while OG Anunoby chipped in 24 points. Trae Young had 16 points and nine assists for the Hawks, but their defense struggled to contain the Knicks, who were playing without an injured Jalen Brunson.
The Hawks were a sub-.500 team last season, and it appears they’ll end up that way again.
They have lost eight of their last ten tries and 10 of their previous 15. Four of those losses were decided by double-digits. Their star guard Young sprained his right MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) on October 29, 2025, causing him to miss 22 games. In the nine games he has played, Trae averaged 20.4 points and 8.8 assists and shot a career-worst 33% from deep. The knee must be feeling better; he hadn’t topped 30 points this season until two recent games. Last night against Miami, he recorded 30 points on 5-of-8 from deep.
The issue for Atlanta isn’t that Young has missed time; it’s that they function better when he’s gone. With him playing, the Hawks own a 121.5 defensive rating (third-worst in the league), but that figure improves to 115.3 when he sits (which would rank 12th). Their record tells the tale in simplest terms: Atlanta is just 2–7 with Young and 13–10 without him. Since his return from the MCL injury, the Hawks are 0–4, including losses to Chicago and Charlotte, and scored 120.5 points per game through those games.
Offense hasn’t been the problem; the defense craters with Trae on the floor, allowing 126.56 points per game compared to 117.17 without. Trade season is open, and he sure smells like a dead man walking. But which team would take him? He’s playing in the final guaranteed year of his 5-year, $215.16 million rookie extension, earning about $46 million for the 2025-26 season, and holds a $49 million player option for the next.
Enough about that bum. Jalen Johnson (SF) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker are Atlanta’s top scorers. Both are shooting about 37% from deep, combining for about 12 attempts per game. Johnson is playing a superb campaign, averaging 23.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 29 games this season. Walker logs 20.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Atlanta plays fast and scores enough, but the results are middling. The Hawks average 118.6 points per game (12th) at the league’s third-fastest pace, yet they surrender 119.8 points per night (24th). Their 115.2 offensive rating (16th) pairs with a 116.4 defensive rating (17th) to place them squarely in the middle-of-the-pack.
They shoot 48.3% from the field (7th) and 37% from three-point range (6th), and lead the league in assists at 31 per game. Quin Snyder’s crew also forces turnovers (7th in steals), but rebounding remains a glaring weakness, ranking 25th overall (41.6 rebounds per game) with particularly poor offensive rebounding (27th).
Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Dyson Daniels are the team’s leading defenders. Daniels averages 11.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and two steals, and his reputation as one of the league’s top perimeter defenders (The Great Barrier Thief!) is well-deserved. In December, Daniels had scoring bursts (e.g., 27 points in a game) and near triple-doubles, suggesting more to come from him offensively.
Tonight Atlanta will be without N’Faly Dante and Eli John Ndiaye out for the season, while illness has Kristaps Porziņģis as a game-time decision.
OAKAAKUYOAK Porziņģis has had a mixed bag of a season with the Hawks, due to battling Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Look it up. My wife has it. It’s a bastard. When the unicorn–or unisnake, which I believe AllZingers prefers–has played, the big Latvian averaged 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists while shooting about 50%, but he’s only been able to suit up 13 times. That’s not ideal for what should be a cornerstone player who is earning $30,731,707 in the final year of a two-year, $60 million deal. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, when he’ll likely mosey on to his sixth NBA team.
The top pick in last year’s draft is having a so-so season in Atlanta. Forward Zaccharie Risacher has averaged 10.9 points and 2.9 rebounds, which are dips from his rookie year. But on the bright side, fellow frontcourt player Okongwu is having a career year, averaging 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31 games this season.
Big picture: our Eastern Conference foe, who’s beaten New York 203 out of 396 times, is struggling this season, their pricey veteran center can’t stay on the floor, and Trae Young is a cancer, rotting their team from the inside out. Meanwhile, the Knicks are the talk of the town and hard-charging their way toward the top of the standings. Ahhh. Repeat that back to me slowly, please, so I can really savor it.
ESPN.com favors the Knicks at 65%. As they should. The Knicks, coming off a thrilling two-point win over the Cavs on Christmas, beat these Hawks on paper easily. Add the fact that the home team could be tired after losing to the Heat last night, and the odds of success inch even higher for our heroes. The visitors might be without both Josh Hart (gtd, ankle) and Miles McBride (ankle, still), but sophomore Tyler Kolek has stepped into the void to kick major keister alongside Brunson in the backcourt. Tonight’s game should be New York’s for the taking, provided they don’t play down to their opponent. Never fear: Despite allowing a few runs and a couple of maddening Trae Young threes, expect New York to coast through the fourth quarter to a nice, juicy, Georgia peach of a win.
Teams: New York Knicks (21*-9) vs Atlanta Hawks (15-17)
Date: Saturday, December 27, 2024
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: MSG
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky
* Should be one more, but the Cup final doesn’t count.
