Cinderella Keeps Dancing

(@ATLHawks twitter)

For the first time since 2015, the Atlanta Hawks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals. The city of Atlanta is hyped, and the team is optimistic they can get four more wins on route to their first finals appearance since they relocated from St.Louis to Atlanta. They went through a tough but very needed seven game series against the 76ers, but the Hawks come out more battle tested and more confident in themselves. They beat the 76ers three times on the road, including game 7, which a young, inexperienced team would typically struggle with, but not these Hawks. They are 5-2 on the road this postseason. The final boss in the Eastern conference: The Milwaukee Bucks' and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks won the season series 2-1 this year, but we know the regular season doesn't matter in the postseason. The Hawks were also not as healthy, as they are now in those 3 games as well. People are already picking the Bucks to win this series handily, but being underestimated is nothing new to the Hawks or Atlanta fans. I have described this team before as the ultimate underdogs this playoffs. I say that because we saw how everyone picked the Knicks in the first round and then the 76ers in the 2nd. These Hawks have no all stars (biggest mistake of the year IMO), no all NBA, and no award winners. So, they have a huge chip on their shoulder trying to prove the whole league wrong and getting the respect they deserve. All the doubt cast over the team only serves to further fuel and motivate the them, which I believe has been one of the driving forces behind the success the Hawks have had. Now, this cinderella gets at least between 4-7 more games to get to the finals with each game inching the team and the city closer to its first NBA Finals appearance since relocating to Atlanta.

(twitter user @cantguardridley)

Let's take a moment to reflect on how far this team has come from just a few years ago. We forget John Collins was the first draft pick, really, of the whole rebuilding process back in 2017. Who was the head coach of that team? Mike Budenholzer, who was the Atlanta Hawks head coach from 2013-2018 and now current head coach of the Bucks - who the Hawks will be facing. Budenholzer has been viewed here in Atlanta as a guy who " ran away ' from the rebuild with the Hawks. Let's face it, he didn't want to start over and rebuild. He is within his right to do that but Hawks fans remember. The fans in Atlanta believe beating Budenholzer to get to the finals just makes it just a tad sweeter. The Hawks have now built a team that the city loves. Nate McMillian has done an absolutely terrific job turning this team around and getting them to this point. He clicked with these players and challenged them to be better, and it all paid off at the end. This team has united and stuck together through everything that has happened and now regardless of how this ends, the team has a bright future.

(Hawks Reporter for 92.9 The Game Mike Conti)

I expect Trae Young to still have another masterful series, even though, I am sure the bucks will have Jrue Holiday mainly on him and throw different bodies at him. The key to this series is the supporting cast for the Hawks. Bogdan Bogdanvoic is currently nursing a knee injury and struggled the last few games of the 76ers series. His point totals for the last 3 games were 6, 7,and 4. The Hawks have to get more from Bogi if they want to have a chance in this series, so hopefully he can recover in time by Wednesday and be effective. I believe John Collins has to average a double double in this series, and be impactful in key spots. I think we have seen when John is playing well and bringing energy, the Hawks play much better basketball. During Game 7 against the 76ers, he had 14 points and 16 big rebounds, If he continues to play like that, then it will play a big role in the series. One player who I think needs to have a real bounce back in this series is Clint Capela. He struggled in the 76ers series against Joel Embiid. We all knew coming into the series that was a hard matchup for him. That series Capela averaged 10.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, Compare that to his regular season numbers he averaged 15.2 points and 14.3 rebounds a game. The Hawks certainly want his to return to those regular season numbers and a better matchup this series should allow him to return to those numbers. We can't forget about Kevin Huerter who was huge in game 7 for the Hawks. If he continues to play that way, staying confident and aggressive, he could potentially be a huge X-Factor in this Bucks series. He has the ability to be a game changer for this team, and we saw that on display in the closeout game in Philly. I also have to give a shoutout to Onyeka Okongwu. He has played huge in the mins he played last series. He was active and blocking shots when coming in from the bench in stints, it won't be reflected in his stat line but you feel his impact when he plays. Then Gallinari and Lou Williams have to continue to be reliable when their number is called, as they are the 2 veterans that drive the bench unit. Then hopefully we see the return of Cam Reddish this series, as he has been cleared by doctors. The team is just cautious about throwing him out there, but he should be good to go.

(@KevinHuerter, Atlanta Hawks)

Once again, The Hawks come into this series with house money and nothing to lose. They aren't supposed to be here, and many people believe this is where their run will end. The Hawks don't believe that through. They are fully confident they can beat the Bucks and continue this run. I'm sure this will be a challenging series just like the 76ers one was, but with a team like this, every series and game is a learning experience. The original Hawks hashtag was #TrueToAtlanta for a while, but this playoffs there's a new hashtag that has shaped this run. This hashtag is #BelieveAtlanta, as those words have shaped this run and support from this fan base. The fans believe, the city believes, the team believes but do you? This team is a fun team to watch, and regardless of what happens this series, you have to sit back and give this team a round of applause for the playoffs and season they have had. The Hawks are on the verge of makin history and this team is hungry. The Bucks better not take the Hawks lightly or you may see the Atlanta Hawks being your 2021 Eastern Conference representatives heading into the Finals, and maybe even bringing a Championship back to Atlanta. Buckle up and enjoy the ride Atlanta because, I think we can all agree this Hawks season has been a ride of a lifetime.

(Stats from Espn.com) ,(Cover Image from Atlanta Hawks @ATLHawks)