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Hawks Cannot Afford Trap Game Against Winless Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo
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- Hawks Cannot Afford Trap Game Against Winless Heat, Giannis Antetokounmpo
(Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
The 2-2 Atlanta Hawks square off against the 0-4 Miami Heat in Wednesday's NBA action. They cannot let this become a trap game.
A trap game is, in simple terms, a game a team loses because it assumed it would win. When a team as talented as the Hawks is facing a squad that's lost all four of its games thus far, it's easy to make that assumption.
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But against the Heat, it could be fatal.
Hawks Must Take the Heat Seriously
It's been a challenging start to the 2026-27 season for the Heat. Their 105.3 Offensive Rating ranks 27th, and their 118.8 Defensive Rating is 24th. That gives them the league's third-worst Net Rating at minus-13.5.
As some analysts predicted, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo have struggled to coexist. It seems that Antetokounmpo is cannibalizing some of Adebayo's typical production.
Antetokounmpo is averaging a typical 28.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, but Adebayo's production is way down at 11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
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Otherwise, Miami's lack of depth is hurting it. Davion Mitchell is having a career year, but he's not a viable second option. Beyond him, this roster is lined with role players.
That makes the Hawks a tough matchup for Miami. Atlanta's depth is the envy of most of the Eastern Conference.
So yes, the Hawks should win this game.
But it's far from guaranteed.
Hawks Have to Contain Giannis Antetokounmpo
In the Hawks' two losses against the Houston Rockets , star big man Alperen Şengün gave them fits.
So, it stands to reason that Antetokounmpo could give them similar issues.
More broadly, Antetokounmpo and Adebayo remain one of the most talented frontcourt duos in the league. It's not only Antetokounmpo's scoring ability that should concern Atlanta.
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Adebayo is a much more capable offensive player than his 2026-27 production thus far suggests. If Atlanta focuses too much of its attention on Antetokounmpo, Miami still has another accomplished big man capable of taking advantage.
Yes, the Heat are 0-4, but they're going to win games this season. In time, it wouldn't shock anyone if they rattled off a winning streak, and it could start at any time.
The Hawks have to make sure it doesn't happen against them.
There are stakes for Atlanta here, too. If it loses this contest, it will fall below .500.
That's far from an emergency five games into the season, but it doesn't feel good. The Hawks have an opportunity to get back to their winning ways against a struggling team, but they'll have to take Miami seriously.
Otherwise, they run the risk of getting trapped.
