The Atlanta Hawks were given a "C" grade by USA Today for their performance over the first two-thirds of the regular season.
It’s been a tough year for Atlanta, which sits at 18-41 following the All-Star Break and will likely see its streak of 10 consecutive years making the playoffs come to an end.
New general manager Travis Schlenk gutted the team last summer -- dropping Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard and Tim Hardaway Jr. -- to begin accumulating future draft picks and creating more cap space.
“The Hawks were never expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, but they’ve embraced the tank after reaching a buyout with veteran Marco Belinelli,” USA Today’s Michael Singer wrote. “Rookie John Collins has been an intriguing bright spot.”
Collins, the 19th overall pick in last year’s draft, is averaging 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 22.3 minutes.
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