Atlanta Hawks Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks had a season out of the box last year. Battling injuries all season and a mid-season coaching change, the team finished fifth, not getting home-court advantage due to losing their season series with the New York Knicks. They then went on a dream playoff run which caught the attention of the nation.
They were only stopped in the Conference Finals by the eventual champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, after superstar point guard Trae Young was injured in a freaky manner. He stepped on the referee’s foot which caused a bone bruise in his ankle, which ended his effectiveness in the playoffs.