Upcoming Schedule Stretch To End The Season Will Show If The Hawks Are Contenders Or Pretenders

The Atlanta Hawks got back on track last night with a 16 point win over the Golden State Warriors. It was the Hawks 12 win in the last 13 games and they are 14-2 since the All-Star break, a record that has gotten them up to No. 6 in the Eastern Conference.

There have been doubters about the Hawks legitimacy, with many pointing to their soft schedule as the biggest reason for this latest stretch, but the Hawks are about to have plenty of chances to show that they should be taken seriously.

Upcoming Schedule

If the Hawks want to keep their spot in the top six of the Eastern Conference standings, they are going to have to earn it against the 8th toughest remaining schedule in the league per tankathon.

Atlanta still has games against the Grizzlies, Kings, and Nets, but those are the only games in which they are going to be favored comfortably.

The rest of the way, the Hawks have road games against the Pistons, Celtics, Magic, Cavaliers, and Heat while also having home games against Boston, Cleveland, and New York. Now, the Pistons are not going to have Cade Cunningham for the game on Wednesday, but Detroit is 3-0 against the Hawks this season and pose certain matchup problems with their size and defense.

Now, the Hawks are not going to lose every one of these games (I don't think), but their recent performance against the Rockets raised eyebrows. If you are one that thinks the Hawks record is built off of an easy schedule, then your belief is reinforced by the blowout loss to Houston, a team that has talent, but had not been playing well heading into the game.

Since the All-Star break, the Hawks own a 13-2 record (.867 winning %), the best winning % amongst all Eastern Conference teams and the third-highest amongst all teams, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder (.933%) and San Antonio Spurs (.882%). The club enters Monday's contest having won 10 consecutive home games, Atlanta's longest home winning streak since 2021 (4/18/21-11/1/21).. Over the Hawks' 10-game home winning streak, the team is averaging 122.4 points, 50.0 rebounds, 30.0 assists and 10.2 steals, winning by an average of +17.9 points.

It's the first time in franchise history the club has tallied at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 steals over a 10-game span at home and they are the first team to do so over a 10-game span at home since the Chicago Bulls in 1997 (2/18/97-3/22/97), per Stathead.

The East is a clog of teams 5-10 that are good and interesting in their own way, even if they are not seen as legitimate title contenders. The Hawks are not talked about enough in that group, with the Hornets and even the Magic and 76ers getting more love due to their rosters not being at full strength.

The Hawks are going to be under a microscope over the final stretch of the season and the reality is they could be anywhere from 5th in the Eastern Conference to 10th. It is up to them to show this is not just an aberration and the real thing.