Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Falcons have a Kyle Pitts Problem
The Atlanta Falcons pulled off a miraculous, last-second win versus rival New Orleans Saints. Meanwhile, Kyle Pitts played no significant role in the offense, again. As the Falcons continue to try and build a solid foundation on the offensive side of the ball, Pitts looks like an island to himself.
When asked about the lack of production from Kyle Pitts, head coach Raheem Morris defended the former No. 4 overall pick by sounding eerily familiar to previous head coach Arthur Smith. He said “stats are for losers.”
Maybe. But Kyle Pitts didn’t accumulate any stats against the Saints. Zero catches, zero yards. He’s on pace for 34 catches for 446 yards — a worse per game average than he had with Marcus Mariota as his quarterback.
Once considered the next evolution in tight end play, he pretty much runs cardio routes, baiting a defender halfway down the field. The defender realizes that Pitts is not open, won’t get open, and the Atlanta offense plays 10-on-11 over the course of four quarters.
Honesty needs to set in. Kyle Pitts doesn’t look like he fits the Falcons current and present.
Not Skill Related
Now, Pitts’s issues do not reside with his athletic ability. For his size and frame, Pitts enjoys an elite blend of speed and explosiveness that NFL tight ends rarely have. He had a 9.65 Relative Athletic Score coming out of Florida. The nearest comparison of a similar tight end feels like Vernon Davis.
Pitts will outrun any linebacker, move laterally against them underneath, as well. Similarly, while defensive backs can obviously keep up, Pitts’s size and frame should act as a shield. Imagine a power forward in basketball, boxing an opponent out in a small area.
In a perfect world, the former Florida product would serve as a matchup nightmare and redzone threat as a tight end that can line up anywhere on the field due to his speed and agility. That was the idea when the Falcons made him the highest drafted tight end in history in 2021.
What’s the Problem?
As mentioned, the issue is not a physical one. So, where does the issue lay? First, you have to look at the hands. Through four seasons, Pitts dropped thirteen passes. That excuse would hold water if the Falcons employed the same quarterbacks. Instead, they signed a veteran and drafted a highly-touted rookie.
Yet, he sits fifth in catches and yardage. When a new quarterback chooses to throw the ball elsewhere, that speaks volumes to where the offense sees Pitts at the moment. Plus, the reasoning that defenses gameplan and take him out of the game by scheme falls apart.
Still Trying
Despite Pitts’s invisibility in 2024, his teammates still attempt to get him involved. Yesterday, Kirk Cousins discussed this with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“So, there are some plays out there when I come to sideline, I say, ‘Kyle, I’ve got to work you there,’” Cousins said. “Then there are other ones where I did work him. I say, ‘I probably shouldn’t have forced it to you.’ It goes both ways. You always go where your reads take you and it skews the numbers one way or the other. Sometimes. it’s really balanced. You just have to go where they take you.”
Big Picture
With one year remaining after 2024 on his rookie deal, where does Kyle Pitts stand? Does he warrant a second deal or should Atlanta let him walk and funnel those funds to shore up weaknesses? Bluntly, this sits in Pitts’s hands.
The club already picked up his fifth-year option, but nothing appears after that. The Falcons strive to unencumber themselves from mistakes in the past. Kyle Pitts’s play will determine if he will exist a current Falcon or one of the past.
Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks prediction, pick for Game 1 of 2026 NBA Playoffs first round
Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway with a loaded opening round. Taking place in the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks.
You can check out the full series preview on DraftKings Network here.
Looking at the odds for the series opener, the Knicks enter as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks are +205 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 218.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Eastern Conference series opener.
Hawks vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Atlanta Hawks went through a midseason transition, moving on from Trae Young after he headlined the production for the franchise for the past eight years. The Hawks have not missed a beat amid the major midseason shakeup, finishing as the sixth seed in the conference with a 46-36 overall record. On the season, Atlanta has gone 44-38 against the spread, and the game total has gone 41-41 to the over/under.
Jock Landale is the only player set to miss the matchup tonight. Jalen Johnson headlines the production, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a breakout season in a new location, adding 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. CJ McCollum adds 18.7 points and 4.1 assists across his first 41 games with the organization, while Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zaccharie Risacher also play notable roles.
Quin Snyder’s group scores 118.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and fifth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.0 points per game against Atlanta, which ranks 18th in the league. They also rank ninth in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent three-point percentage.
The New York Knicks entered the season with legitimate title aspirations. They have had some notable ups and downs, but now face this opportunity. New York finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and sit in third place in the East. The Knicks have gone 44-39 against the spread, and the game total has gone 38-45 to the over/under.
The Knicks enter this matchup with a clear injury report and a large sample size of the team playing together. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns pitches in 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists of his own. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the production at the wing positions, while Josh Hart sets the tone for this team from a hustle standpoint. New York also did an impressive job building out the bench unit this season, with players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek capable of serving as X-factors off the bench.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 116.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. New York also ranks third in offense rating, 11th in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 110.1 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks fifth in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and 20th in opponent three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Knicks pick, best bet
These are two teams at different stages of their timeline, but neither will be afraid of this playoff spotlight. The Knicks pushed their chips in around this core and are hoping to be rewarded for it. They fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals last year and have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Atlanta missed out on the playoffs in back-to-back years and turned a new page direction with Jalen Johnson now leading the charge. Without Trae Young, the Hawks now lean on more of a defensive-minded identity and have a roster loaded with athleticism.
During the regular season, these teams faced off three times. They split the first two matchups, which took place on December 27th and January 2nd. New York picked up a narrow 108-105 victory in the most recent game, which took place on April 6th. Both sides were aware that this was a potential postseason matchup, and this game had some major seeding implications. It was an evenly matched game in which neither team was able to extend a lead beyond 10 points, and the rebounding battle was separated by just one board. The biggest discrepancy came with the Knicks shooting 50% compared to the Hawks shooting 40%, and New York outscoring Atlanta 52-34 in the paint.
While there are higher expectations for this Knicks team in the postseason outlook, the Hawks stack up fairly well in this matchup. Jalen Brunson will be at the heart of the offensive attack for New York. But his biggest weakness is when he is guarded by high-level athletes with a size advantage over him. The Hawks have built out a roster loaded with this archetype of player, and there is not a clear matchup for Brunson to hunt in most lineup combinations.
Brunson has enough experience and savvy to will settle in over the course of the series. But expect some growing pains in the early parts of this matchup, and for this to be a huge hurdle for this Knicks team. I am backing the Hawks to cover the 5.5-point spread and would not be shocked if they steal the opening game. This is a series in which neither side should be expected to pull away by major margins throughout. Count on Atlanta to have defense success and have a clear gameplan for limiting the impact of Brunson. Expect this matchup to come down to the wire and take the points in the series opener.
Best Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-112)
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