The expectations for the Atlanta Hawks, coming off a playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals, were set at an extraordinary level. There were many fingers pointed at the firing of Lloyd Pierce, and Nate McMillan taking over, as one of the reasons the Hawks were able to turn things around mid-season.
The Hawks have not lived up to those expectations. They have struggled on defense, and have had to deal with a myriad of injuries. When they are healthy, there are too many times when the players' effort are in question on a nightly basis.
Sam Mitchell, of TSN Sports, joined the Jon Chuckery show to give some insight into where the blame should be at this point. “If you change the coach, and you’re still not getting the results that you want, it’s (time) now to start looking at the players in the locker room,” Mitchell said.
The Hawks, playing good team defense, are a team that can make a deep run in the playoffs. However, if they do not, the players will have to be held accountable, not McMillan.
