On the Atlanta Hawks’ Incredible 2021 Playoff Run
Eastern Conference Finals aside, this was an incredible run
The 2020–2021 NBA regular season and playoffs have been filled with injuries and covid protocols, sapping the joy for many out of what would usually be a fun time of year. No matter what team you cheer for, it’s less fun when the best players keep going down with various ailments.
For me, and anyone else who follows the Atlanta Hawks though, the last few months have been a euphoric experience as this young team thundered into the playoffs and fought its way into the Eastern Conference Finals. Tonight, that run came to an end in Game 6 in State Farm Arena. It’s a crushing end, but a run that I’ll look back fondly on for years.
That’s the big takeaway: the Hawks made an incredible run to close out the season and throughout these adjusted-calendar playoffs. The exact numbers have been broken down by many writers more talented and knowledgeable than I, but the bottom line is this: Atlanta was a mediocre team for much of the year that turned into one of the best in the league after moving from coach Lloyd Pierce to Nate McMillan.
At the beginning of the year, I thought it was reasonable to hope the Hawks would make the playoffs, and maybe, just maybe sneak into the second round. To end the season in the conference finals was beyond my wildest dreams. We saw Trae Young announce his playoff arrival to the basketball world. We saw a young team defy every reasonable expectation and go toe-to-toe with the best in the league. Atlanta fans may have been happy just to get to this point (I know I was), but the players themselves wanted nothing short of the highest success. That spirit is contagious.
The first round series against the Knicks was illuminating. Nearly every NBA expert predicted that New York would win, but the Hawks — with a sizable talent advantage — proved that their season’s second-half improvements weren’t just a mirage. Atlanta won in five games, a result that felt less like a fluke and more like a clearly superior team beating a clearly worse one. New York had a great season, but the Hawks were the better team and they played like it.
The second round was one of the most rewarding viewing experiences I’ve ever had as a sports fan. Game 1 was a wild ride that I didn’t really think the Hawks would win until it was over. The incredible comebacks in games 4 and 5 had me jumping off my couch in excitement, and I’ll remember the closing seconds of game 7 for the rest of my life. I know that for most of the sports world, the second round of the playoffs was defined by the Philadelphia 76ers implosion and the unmaking of Ben Simmons. For me, it was the Hawks announcing that they’d arrived on the NBA’s biggest stage and toppling the conference’s favorites.
For a few glorious moments, the conference finals felt the same way. The Hawks took game 1 on the road, improbably stunning the heavily-favored Milwaukee Bucks. Game 2 was a massive blowout in the other direction, but coming back home with a 1–1 series split is still a pretty good outcome. We all know what happened next. Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo both went down with injuries in games 3 and 4, respectively. The tone of the series changed, and the depleted Bucks ended up edging the depleted Hawks by the end of game 6. The Bucks were always the better team on paper, so this result isn’t unexpected. The exact way it played out though was far from ideal.
If you had told me before the Eastern Conference Finals began that the Bucks would win in six games, I would have accepted that outcome happily. But watching the Hawks lose (at least in part) because their best player stepped on a referee’s foot leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I would much rather have had both teams at full strength, regardless of the outcome. No matter how fun it was just to get to this point, it’s sad to see the journey come to an end.
It’s also worth noting that nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. As I’m writing this post, Charles Barkley is opining that the Hawks won’t be favored as one of the best teams in the East next year. And honestly, I don’t think he’s wrong. Atlanta has a lot of talented players, but getting to the conference finals is hard, especially for a young team. It doesn’t get easier. In 2012, after the Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, many fans and pundits pointed out that the young Thunder team would be back before long. As we all know, that franchise hasn’t made the Finals since. Every opportunity, no matter how improbable, should be celebrated for the rarity that it is.
There are also questions about this team in 2021–2022. Nate McMillan isn’t technically the coach for next year yet. John Collins is a free agent. There will almost certainly be some changes to the roster, though how important those changes may be is yet to be seen. The point is: we can’t just assume the Hawks will be back here in a year’s time. They should at least be back in the playoffs, but we might be looking at a much different group of players.
But, what an incredible season to watch and experience this has been. Trae Young is a superstar; Cam Reddish played his heart out tonight; De’Andre Hunter showed flashes of brilliance; John Collins led with style and emotion. I still can’t believe the Hawks made it this far in the playoffs, and that’s the biggest lesson I think I’ll take from the last few weeks. No matter what happens in the years head, this was a magical, improbable experience.
I hope that in a year’s time the Hawks will be back in this spot, or at least somewhere close. Hopefully, McMillan and Collins both come back and lead Atlanta to even greater success. But if this is the high water mark for the foreseeable future, it’s been a joy to be a part of.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
