2025 NBA Playoff Picture: Who Should The Hawks Rest For Their Season Finale?

The Atlanta Hawks took care of business last night vs the Philadelphia 76ers and in doing so, they clinched the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference, setting up a win and in game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Before Tuesday though, they will face the Magic at home on Sunday in a game that will be meaningless. Because of that, it would be wise for the Hawks to sit some players, even for a team that is as shorthanded as Atalnta is.

There are plenty of reasons for the Hawks to rest players on Sunday, even without mentioning the meaningless nature of the game when it comes to the standings. Orlando plays a physical brand of basketball and it would not be smart for Atlanta to put more mileage on their most important players and expose them to injury risk. Atlanta needs to have their full allotment of players on hand for Tuesday and have to be careful tomorrow.

But because of injuries to team, Atlanta will still have to play some players that might regularly play. The Hawks will have to have at least eight players available on Sunday, which begs the question, if the Hawks rest players, who will it be?

It should go without saying that the list starts with Trae Young. Young has played a lot of minutes this season and is coming off of a back-to-back vs Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Atlanta should give Young a day off and have him ready to go for Tuesday.

Dyson Daniels is another player who should not touch the court on Sunday. He is the Hawks best perimeter defender and most important players. He has stayed healthy this season and played a lot of minutes and could also use a day off to get ready for a tough matchup on Tuesday.

Onyeka Okongwu is the only viable big man for the Hawks and has been playing very well since taking over as the starting center. With Clint Capela and Larry Nance still out, Okongwu has been playing heavy minutes and needs a breather ahead of Tuesday, where he might have to play at least 40 minutes.

Caris LeVert should probably rest tomorrow as well. He is a critical part of the Hawks' bench, shown by his 31-point performance last night.

You could make the case for Zaccharie Risacher needing to sit, but I think he could play a small role on Sunday and be ok. Again, if the Hawks hold out Young, Daniels, Okongwu, and LeVert, they still need to have eight players. It would not surprise if Risacher either sits or plays a (very) small role tomorrow.

It would be wise to assume there will be plenty of minutes for guys like Keaton Wallace, Daeqwon Plowden, and Dom Barlow. Role players such as Vit Krejci, Terance Mann, and Georges Niang may have to play a small role tomorrow as well.

I would anticipate that the Hawks will look to rest their most important guys tomorrow, while keeping some other guys on a short minutes limit. It makes no sense for the Hawks to play their usual rotation on Sunday, as they will need to win Tuesday to get into the playoffs.

Additional Links

Three Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta's 124-110 Win Over Philadelphia

Atlanta Hawks Clinch No. 8 Spot in The Eastern Conference With 124-110 Victory Over Philadelphia

2025 NBA Playoff Tracker: Eastern Conference Play-In Matchups Officially Set, Dates, and Times