Once Again, Atlanta Hawks Snubbed From NBA's Christmas Lineup

NBA games on Christmas Day are considered by many to be the biggest games of the regular season, as many fans believe the season doesn't start until that day. Every season, the league's best stars play and showcase their best, from their shoes to their overall game that day, and usually, these games are the most-watched games of the regular season. Some of the prestige that comes from playing on that day could include legacy building based on memorable performances against rivals, and usually, if you get the "prime-time matchup," which would be the night games, you're looked at as a big deal. One of the most universally renowned games is the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors game from 2016, which is consistently relived by many.

As for the Hawks, they have one of the more exciting young cores in the NBA and have two All-Stars in Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis, who have now formed one of the more anticipated duos this offseason. The Hawks were one of the final four teams in the In-Season-Tournament Conference Finals last season and nearly made it to the cup final, where they were a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference at the time. This ironically happened in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, where the Hawks made the Eastern Conference Finals and were featured on the NBA's Christmas schedule for the NBA 75th Anniversary season, where Young missed the game due to COVID-19.

The likely reasoning about the Hawks getting snubbed could be a possible lack of TV ratings and storylines surrounding the team, based on their missing the playoffs this season. The night will be filled with next-level superstar talent from Lebron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards. The argument could be made fairly that the Hawks haven't made much noise for the interest of the other teams playing that day, as they haven't made the playoffs the last few seasons, which could cause people to forget about them, which is something Trae Young pointed out during the playoffs.

As for the fans, they could also contribute more excitement if they continue to support the team throughout the season and are more vocal as they were in years past if the Hawks have a big splash of a season. Moving forward, the Hawks could use this as motivation, as they are a young, upcoming team in the NBA and have a chance this season to prove themselves as one of the more deserving squads in the future.

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