Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Falcons See ‘Bright Future’ for Rookie WR Casey Washington
When receiver Casey Washington was preparing for his pre-draft visit with the Atlanta Falcons, he looked up highlights of the team’s wideouts coach, Ike Hilliard.
A 12-year veteran who made over 500 receptions and eclipsed 6,000 receiving yards, Hilliard’s lengthy playing career featured no shortage of standout plays. And after watching some of them online, Washington had a newfound respect for his prospective position coach.
“I was like, ‘Man, I’m playing for a dog,’” Washington said last week at the Falcons’ practice facility in Flowery Branch.
But at the time, Washington was merely a draft hopeful. His dreams became reality during the third day of April’s draft, as Hilliard and the Falcons selected him in the sixth round.
And in the three and a half months since Washington arrived for rookie minicamp May 9, he’s compiled quite the highlight reel of his own. Now, fandom has spread to Hilliard.
“I’m probably the biggest Casey fan ever,” Hilliard said last week.
As Washington has learned more about Hilliard, the more he’s grown to respect him. Hilliard is personble and genuine, someone who cares about who players are as people and what goes on in their lives.
Washington wants to be a coach once he’s done playing. Hilliard has been a positive influence on him. But for now, Hilliard is focused on helping Washington extend his playing career as long as possible.
“What we saw saw on tape is a guy that’s going to play full speed all the time,” Hilliard said. “He’s not afraid in any area of the field. He has outstanding hands. The hand-eye coordination.
“We’re working on putting him in positions where he can understand, within each play, how he fits what the progression is, the depth and timing of his route.”
Washington was born two months premature, tipping the scales at four pounds, six ounces. He now stands 6-foot, 200 pounds, but his mentality hasn’t changed. Since he was a child in Round Rock, Texas, Washington said he’s always thought he was bigger than he really was.
Always an underdog — from underrecruited to the University of Illinois, from no touchdowns entering his senior year to four in his final three games, from premature to the NFL — Washington has grown to embrace fearlessness.
“It’s a chip on my shoulder,” Washington said. “It’s not to prove anyone else wrong or do anything for anyone else, it’s just to prove myself right. And like I said, keep God first.”
Perhaps the biggest adjustment from college to the NFL for Washington is the complexity of the offense. At Illinois, Washington often stood on the same side of the field and ran a limited route tree, which consisted of five or six different concepts.
Rookies already deal with meeting room demands and schedule constraints. Life becomes all about football — and for Washington, that includes trying to grasp a playbook with much more variety in what it asks receivers to do.
“The learning curve is a little bit different,” Hilliard said. “Understanding how to run those routes within a scheme, within a combination in patterns during every changing look on defense is a little bit of a challenge.
“We’re asking him to do a lot more than he’s ever done. It will take a little bit of time, but he’s handled it well so far.”
Hilliard noted the Falcons have put more on Washington’s plate since receiver Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury Aug. 7 during joint practices with the Miami Dolphins.
Atlanta is closely monitoring Washington’s progress with hopes he will accelerate his learning curve in a manner where he can be counted on more frequently in the days to come.
But the Falcons won’t merely be gifting playing time to Washington. Hilliard said he has to find ways to learn the play book and earn reps and opportunities through tape, which is the resume for each player.
Washington put plenty of good things on tape in his preseason debut against the Dolphins on Aug. 9, catching three passes for 27 years. In his second exhibition contest, he was targeted six times but failed to make a reception.
The Falcons are still trying to decipher Washington’s role in the offense for this fall, but Hilliard knows this much: Washington can, if utilized correctly, be a contributor.
“He’s made plays,” Hilliard said. “We’re excited about that. We’re going to continue to challenge him and ask him for more. We’ll see where he fits in the grand scheme of what we’re trying to do.”
Washington noted there is not just a new playbook to learn, but also new verbiage. However, Hilliard and staff have been patient with him thus far. Washington acknowledged the existence of a learning curve but said he’s learning one step at a time — and he tries to keep a day-by-day mentality.
The 23-year-old Washington knows he has plenty to clean up. He also knows he has the resources at his disposal to do exactly that.
“Try not to get too high, too low, on the good and bad,” Washington said. “Just look at the film and take it for what it is — black and white. Just being cleaner with my proper route depths and being where I need to be at landmarks, and everything after that will take care of itself.”
While there’s much more to playing receiver than just catching the football, Washington has impressed the Falcons’ coaching staff in that element. Hilliard said he’s shown strong hands, caught the ball away from his frame, is comfortable at the catch point and can track the ball downfield.
As a blocker, Washington is physical, uses his hands and executes within his run fit.
He’s impressed not only Hilliard but also veteran receiver KhaDarel Hodge, who is entering his seventh year in the NFL, with his consistency and work ethic.
“Hard worker,” Hodge said. “Every day, Casey brings it. He’s been making some good plays. I can see a bright future for Casey. He’s a really good player and very hard worker.”
Opportunity exists for Washington to make his mark. He arrived in Atlanta as an ascending player, blooming late at Illinois while playing his best ball over the last month of his college career.
Washington’s arrow has continued pointing upward since he arrived in Flowery Branch, and while he’s still battling a difficult learning curve, internal optimism exists surrounding his upside.
“We’re excited about where he is,” Hilliard said. “We’ll see what he can retain, and hopefully it’ll be enough where he can help us with our playmaking going forward.”
As for Washington, the story itself is still one to take in. When he took the field for his preseason debut at Hard Rock Stadium, he did so with a wide smile on his face, realizing he’d fulfilled a life-long dream.
But there’s more for Washington to do. He has his sights set on making Atlanta’s active roster and carving out a role on gamedays.
Yet for now, Washington is focused only on the day ahead — and making sure he extends his stay on Cloud 9 for many years to come.
“I’m just living the dream, man,” Washington said after his first preseason game. “I’m just happy to be here, and I’m just blessed. It’s special to me, and I’m going to run with it. I’m going to get better, get back to work and become the best me I can be.”
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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