When the Atlanta Hawks woke up on March 1, 2021 they were in a South Florida hotel, the morning after a Southeast Division loss to the Miami Heat, 109-99. Their record fell to 14-20 almost halfway into a season that began by winning four of their first five games and with aspirations of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in over three seasons.
That morning the Hawks' 14-20 record had them in 11th place in the NBA Eastern Conference. Injuries were starting to mount on a nightly basis and fourth-quarter leads melting away seemed to be a predictable outcome for a team that had lost seven out of 10.
And then fate changed. The Hawks ripped off eight consecutive wins. Fourth-quarter collapses turned into blowout victories. The roster began to get healthy and starters and role players all began to thrive.
What caused such a remarkable turnaround halfway into the season? Quite simple...
Nate McMillan replaced Lloyd Pierce as head coach on March 1, and the Hawks have been rolling ever since.
McMillan is 24-11 since he took over the team, with an outstanding 14-2 home record at State Farm Arena.
But could a 38-game sample size be enough to convince NBA voters to honor McMillan with the 2021 NBA Coach of the Year Award?
Hawks beat reporter, Sarah Spencer, while on The Midday Show with Andy and Randy, says she “absolutely” feels McMillan should be in consideration for Coach of the Year.
The award winner will be announced in early June during the 2021 Playoffs.
For now, Coach McMillan will just keep working his magic with this Hawks team.
