Venue: State Farm Arena
Home: Atlanta Hawks
Away: Phoenix Suns
10.02.2023, @03:30 AM (+03:00 UTC)
The NBA trade deadline didn’t disappoint and as I am writing, I am sure there are more unprecedented moves on the way. First, the Irving trade to the Mavs, then the blockbuster Westbrook-D’Angelo exchange(plus other significant players), then the biggest bang of the day came when Kevin Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns. In this game, the Phoenix Suns take on the Atlanta Hawks.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Phoenix Suns
Oh yeah, the Suns have covered an important base after acquiring KD, whose arrival may have been stamped even if Irving remained with the Nets. Durant provides much better scoring than Mikal Bridges alongside a proven winner mentality. The frontline of Durant and Ayton provides a lot of mileage on offense whereas Booker and Paul are already established Guards who can get it done nightly.
Losing Cam Johnson can hurt the team a bit because Warren doesn’t have the same chops. How will the Suns respond after this trade? The Suns had actually turned around their season after an abysmal spell. They have nine out of eleven games but still are in murky waters due to a 30-wins and 26-losses record. The Suns can finish in top four at least with around 25 games in the kitty.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks may pull some trades before the deadline and at the time of writing, they haven’t. John Collins has been figuring in trade rumours for over a year now and this may be the period where he gets dealt. Bogdan Bogdanovic has drawn massive interest and his scoring abilities are valued highly among many close observers in the league. The backcourt is set with DeJounte Murray and Trae Young, but the frontline has been massively inconsistent which means there are high prospects of trades.
The Hawks have 28 losses and 27 wins, which doesn’t inspire confidence and this is a squad that looks in dire need of a trade. They need someone who can knock down the outside shot and also defend the perimeter well. These are two issues that have derailed the Hawks train this season.
Expert Betting Tips
This is going to be a tough one to predict. At the time of writing, what final shape both rosters will take, and what type of performances will be on display considering the foggy nature of the trade deadline? The fog will lift by the team the game will begin, it will be interesting to see what battle lines are drawn. So, for the sake of it, I favor the Hawks to win due to the home-court advantage.