The 2024-25 NBA schedule was released this week, and fans can now start looking ahead to the season. There are a lot of things to consider when a team’s schedule is first released, like how many nationally televised games they air, when they first play a certain team, and of course, the toughest stretch of games.
The Hawks are off to a relatively rough start to the season, but like any team, they have their rough patches. But which stretch of games could give them the most trouble?
Atlanta is going to have a seven-game series in early December that I think will be very tough for them. It starts on December 2nd when Dejounte Murray returns to Atlanta for the first time since being traded to New Orleans. The Pelicans are going to be looking to get a good spot in the Western Conference and have one of the best teams. It will be a tough game for the Hawks and right after that they travel to face Milwaukee, who hopes to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks had a disappointing season last year, but they still have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
After facing the Pelicans and a trip to Milwaukee, the Hawks have two home games against the Nuggets and Lakers, two other teams hoping to challenge for the NBA title. These will be two very tough games for the Hawks, but the good news is that they will both be at home.
After games against the Nuggets and Lakers, Atlanta travels to San Antonio and finishes this seven-game series with home games against Memphis and Minnesota. This is the best team the Spurs have had in a while and Memphis and Minnesota are both Western Conference Finals contenders. The Timberwolves are coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, while Memphis is hoping to stay healthy and put last year behind them. So this seven-game series includes games against the Pelicans, Bucks, Nuggets, Lakers, Spurs, Timberwolves and Grizzlies. Six of those seven teams are hoping to be Finals contenders, while the Spurs could be the most improved team in the NBA.
This isn’t the only tough stretch for the Hawks. They’ll play six road games starting Dec. 29 in Toronto, then travel to Denver, then Los Angeles to face the Lakers and Clippers, before heading to Utah and Phoenix to wrap things up. West Coast road trips are always a highlight of the Hawks’ schedule, and this one is shaping up to be a tough one.
