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The NBA All-Star festivities are over and the real games are going to resume on Thursday. The All-Star Break is not actually the halfway point of the season, but it is the part of the season where things really ramp up afterward in terms of playoff chases.
The Hawks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA through the first part of the season and how they perform after the All-Star Break could determine what happens with the team after the season. The Hawks are being discussed more for what they will do after the season than they are doing it, but they have a chance to turn some things around with a good post-All-Star Break record.
For the Hawks to be better in this part of the season, they are going to have some big-time play from several players. Here are three players on Atlanta that you should be watching over this next part of the season.
1. Trae Young
This was an easy answer, but there is no player that is more important on the Hawks than Young. He is one of the best offensive players in the NBA and he is the guy that makes the team go.
If the Hawks are going to make a push to get into either the 7 vs 8 play-in tournament or the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference, it is almost certainly going to be because Young got them there. He is averaging close to 27 PPG and 11 APG while shooting 43% from the field and 37% from three. Young is having arguably the best season of his career on both ends of the floor, but the Hawks are still stuck in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.
2. De'Andre Hunter
Hunter missed a chunk of the first half of the season, but he has looked solid since he came back. He has been coming off the bench for the Hawks and has scored at least 21 points in three of the five games. When he is healthy, he is one of the most important players on the Hawks simply because nobody on Atlanta can play both ways like Hunter can. Hunter is asked to guard the best wing player on the other team and is also asked to be an offensive contributor. He has been one of the NBA's best three-point shooters since returning and if he can continue playing at this level, the Hawks will be better off for it.
3. Onyeka Okongwu
Speaking of players that have stepped up over the past few weeks, Onyeka Okongwu has played so well that it is fair to question if he should remain the starter even when Clint Capela returns from injury. Okongwu suffered his own injury right before the All-Star Break, but it is nothing long-term. Okongwu has been viewed as the future for the Hawks since he was drafted No. 6 overall in 2020, but this has been his first opportunity to seize that. Capela has taken a step back this season and with Okongwu playing well, Quin Snyder could opt to keep Okongwu in the starting lineup. It is encouraging to see Okongwu playing well if you are a Hawks fan and he will be a player to watch over these next 27 games.
Follow Jackson on X here: @jacksoncauell
Follow Hawks coverage on Facebook here: All Hawks
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