Washington Wizards game against Hawks make or break for playoff hopes

To say they have been underwhelming this season would be the understatement of the year for the Washington Wizards. Despite this, there is still hope that they might reach the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament.

However, their last game against the Chicago Bulls put a bit of a stake through those plans as they only hold the ten seed by half a game. This is not a safe lead on them considering they have looked significantly improved since the acquisition of Patrick Beverley off the buyout market.

This slim lead is why the away game against the Atlanta Hawks is so important. A win brings them closer to securing a spot in the post season, possibly even tying the Toronto Raptors for the ninth seed. A loss ties them with the Bulls. Which since they split the season series with them, could force a tie breaker game if they tie for the 10 and 11 seed.

The Washington Wizards are going to have to worry about the changes the Hawks have made recently.

The Hawks have been making big moves lately to improve their coaching staff and their player personnel. Most notably, they fire Nate McMillan in favor of signing one of the best coaches in the NBA Quin Snyder.

Snyder has a career coaching record of 372-264, all of which came with the Utah Jazz, despite a few of those rosters having questionable chemistry or talent levels. Including the rookie season of Donovan Mitchell, where he helped build the 13th overall pick into the star that he is today.

This new hire mixed with the scoring potential of Trae Young and Bogdon Bogdanovic, not to mention the defense of Clint Capela and Dejounte Murray makes the Hawks a difficult opponent.

To make matters worse for the Wizards, Monte Morris and Kristaps Porzingis are both listed as out for this pivotal game. Missing not only an All-Star caliber player, but also the starting point guard hurts a lot for a team trying to stay alive.

The matchup that will decide this game lies with Daniel Gafford and Clint Capela. two big men who can control the glass and stop the bleeding on defense. If one of these players is able to assert dominance over the other, it will be a major factor in deciding who wins this matchup.

The Washington Wizard will no doubt be aggressive in trying to win this game. It could force them out of the Play-In Tournament if they don’t. This means that they will be sure to put on a great game against the Hawks.