The Atlanta Hawks look to keep their season going Wednesday when they take on the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. Despite the return of All-Star guard Trae Young, the Hawks still have an uphill battle as the injury riddled team will still be without Jalen Johnson (ankle), Onyeka Okongwu (toe), and Saddiq Bey (ACL).
Hawks radio play-by-play announcer Steve Holman joined The Steakhouse and shared his thoughts on the ups and downs of the season and how they may fare in postseason play.
“Sometimes it really never got off the ground,” Holman told Shapiro and Golden as he explained how injuries throughout the season, in addition to bench production being “a little shaky” early on were major contributors to the struggles. Atlanta will head into Wednesday’s contest in a similar situation.
“Here we go into Chicago without Jalen Johnson, without Onyeka Okongwu, two of the main guys,” Holman said, adding that Johnson could be considered Atlanta’s “second most important player.” However, Holman reminded Shapiro and Golden that the bigger picture for the Hawks is to take advantage of their opportunity despite the circumstances.
“The thing is, once you’re in, you’re in and you have a chance," Holman said. "If you’re 11th, you don’t have a chance."
