After the first 29 games of this season, the Hawks had only six wins.
Another rebuilding season was well underway with visions of a top-3 draft pick dancing in the heads of much of the fan base.
Times have changed a bit.
The Hawks have won 10 of their past 20 games to improve their season record to 16-33 with just over half the season completed. The latest win came at the Clippers, 123-118, Monday night in Los Angeles. It was the Hawks’ first win against the Clippers since March 5, 2016, almost three years.
The Hawks still have the fifth-worst record in the NBA. They sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, ahead of the Bulls, Knicks and Cavaliers. A top-5 draft pick may still be in store when the pingpong balls in the lottery process after the season. However, the Hawks’ core of young players are turning a corner. Last season’s win total of 24 appears as if it will be surpassed.
Trae Young had 26 points and John Collins had 22 points for the Hawks in the win, the Hawks’ second in the first three games of a seven-game road trip with the Super Bowl in Atlanta.
“Hess really been composed over the last couple games,” Collins said of Young to reporters after the win. “He’s made an effort to really make the right play.”
Collins has been impressive after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury. The second-year forward has averaged 19.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. He has a .595 field-goal percentage, seventh best in the NBA, and a .400 field-goal percentage from 3-point range. With his averages, Collins would be just the seventh second-year player since 2001-02 to post those minimums, according to the Hawks. His field goal percentage would be the second-best ever for a sophomore with averages of at least 18 points and 10 rebounds, trailing only Shaquille O’Neal (.599 in 1993-94).
Collins’ 40 percent success rate of 3-point range (32 of 80) comes after he shot 34 percent (16 of 47) as a rookie.
Collins had a career-high 35 points in a win at the Bulls to start the road trip.
Young also had eight assists, against just one turnover, in the win over the Clippers. He had 30 points in a loss at the Trail Blazers on Saturday and became only the second Hawks rookie with two 30-point games since Dominique Wilkins had five in 1982-83.
Young already has passed Jason Terry for third on the Hawks’ rookie assist leaderboard.
Alex Len added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks against the Clippers.
“We’re fighting,” Len told reporters. “We're always in games. That’s what you want to see from a young team.”
The Hawks continue their road trip at the Kings on Wednesday. The finish with games at the Jazz, Suns and Wizards before returning home to host the Raptors on Feb. 7.
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