Atlanta is scorching the NBA and severely costing the Spurs in the process

The Spurs are in danger of receiving a less-than-stellar pick from the Atlanta Hawks. They're on a six-game win streak, playing much better than most anticipated they would. The Hawks are doing it with defense—stealing the ball at the second-highest rate in the NBA—rebounding and attacking the basket with their athleticism.

They owe San Antonio their 2025 unprotected first-round pick, and it's been the most coveted asset in the Spurs' possession. The draft class is stacked with talent, and if the pick lands in the lottery, there's a strong possibility SA lands an elite prospect.

The Spurs need the Hawks to start losing games

When it became clear Atlanta wouldn't be able to trade Trae Young in the offseason, they became a laughingstock on social media. The Hawks didn't have a great year last season and were projected to get worse after trading away Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans and drafting number one overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Instead of falling, they're winning at a pace that will see them finish ahead of where they finished last season. Currently sitting at the fifth seed, the Hawks are 13-11 on the season with wins over the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers under their belt.

Trae Young isn't having his best shooting season, but he leads the league in assists per game with 12.3. Their sophomore, Dyson Daniels, leads the NBA in steals (3.1). They have eight players who average double-digits, with three over 19 points per game, so they're well-balanced.

This is Quin Snyder's third year as head coach of the Hawks after spending eight seasons in Utah. The Jazz won 51 games in his third season as the leader of their ball club. While it's highly unlikely the Hawks will win 51 games, there's no denying Snyder's coaching ability, and it's a factor that was ignored while everyone was making jokes about Atlanta's future.

It's a long season, and several young players play significant minutes for the Hawks. They'll need to withstand the rigors of the long season and keep up their play, but that's what Spurs fans have to hope at this point. The NBA season has reached the quarter mark, so teams are starting to show who they are, and Atlanta is proving to be a pretty good team.

San Antonio will get a chance to take a game off them on December 19 when the A-Town's ball club comes to the Frost Bank Center for a crack at the Alien.