Hawks Heat Up, Suns Struggle (Season 7 NBA 2K25)

Simon Carver

Hey folks, welcome back to the 2k Bros Podcast. I’m Simon Carver, and I’m joined once again by the only man who gets more nervous about a missed three than I did on my first radio audition—Jimbo, how’s it going?

Jimbo

Always doing well, Simon, but man, after watching these Hawks, I think I'm the one who should be auditioning for nerves. Phillip just about broke the playoff machine this season. I mean, 18 playoff wins in a row going back to last year? An undefeated 9-0 run this postseason? That’s not even fair.

Simon Carver

Right? I was skimming the season recap, and that 11-3 regular season was impressive, but then—boom!—in the playoffs, they just shifted to another gear entirely. The Finals were a sweep, three-zip over Dallas. And J. Morant? Man, he turned postseason into his own personal mixtape, capped by that 34-point outburst in Game 3. He averaged 18 a game in the playoffs.

Jimbo

I love what they got outta Morant, but for me, the anchor on both ends—that’s B. Adebayo. Finals MVP, smooth at 10.8 points, almost six boards a night in the playoffs, and you know that plus-minus impact was real. You never saw him force it, but the flow always ran better when Bam was out there.

Simon Carver

Yeah, Adebayo was basically everywhere, wasn’t he? I kept thinking about how stone-cold their playoff composure was. Reminded me of this one time—okay, tangent alert—I was maybe 15, working up the nerve to hit record on a cassette deck for this local audio contest. My hands were literally shaking. And yet, somehow, once the tape started rolling, I settled in. These Hawks, same thing—they looked loose, even up against elimination games. No panic, just smooth execution. I admire it. I was a total mess at that age. (laughs)

Jimbo

No, that’s perfect. It’s like when a team gets on a run and you feel the crowd—Okay, digital crowd, whatever—leaning in. And they keep their heads. And to think, the Hawks were pretty balanced in the regular season—Morant, Butler, Beal, all chipping in—but once the playoffs hit, everyone elevated. That’s how you goose-step through three rounds without a scratch.

Simon Carver

And it’s not just the firepower, right? This was a team where almost every player posted a positive plus-minus in the postseason. Predictable, maybe, but that’s what happens when guys aren’t just hunting stats—they’re tuned in to the moment, just like when… well, like when you got that one shot and you don’t waste it. The Hawks never wasted a possession down the stretch.

Jimbo

Now, on the flip side—Phoenix. Man, Joe’s Suns, I wanted to root for 'em, but there just wasn’t that same magic. They grinded to a 7-7 regular season. +1.1 point differential, so every night was a nail-biter. Then, boom, bounced out of the Play-In by the Clippers, where they put up only 54 points. That’s a rough exit, Simon.

Simon Carver

Brutal. There were glimmers—Ahmen Thompson leading the team at nearly 12 points per, even winning Most Improved. But it kinda opens the old debate—efficiency or talent? Because, on paper, there’s talent: T. Young dropped 19 in that Play-In, and you got steady vets in P. George and Gobert. But it never really flowed, did it?

Jimbo

Nope. Felt like they never solved that riddle. You look at the stats—overall shooting at .447 from the field, .364 from deep in the regular season, so they’re not getting easy buckets, then when it mattered most, nothing went right. George, Gobert, even Kennard—just couldn’t drag it all together when the pressure hit. Reminds me—it’s like some teams get those Most Improved awards, but it never matters if everything else is sideways. You need those pieces to click when it counts.

Simon Carver

Yeah, that’s what I saw too. Play-in heartbreak. I mean, you get knocked out in a virtual do-or-die and it’s not for lack of names on the back of the jersey... it's just, I dunno, the team offense never gelled. And I guess it’s pretty telling when your point differential is basically zero for the year. Like every game’s a coin flip, but eventually, luck runs dry. Feels pretty much the opposite of what Atlanta did, where they peaked when it mattered most.

Jimbo

It’s that old thing, man. High-scoring individuals, even a Most Improved winner—it doesn’t always fix the system. If you’ve got three dudes putting up six apiece and then everyone else taking a night off, playoff basketball’s gonna find you out. And the Suns absolutely felt that when the lights were brightest. Just ran outta answers.

Simon Carver

And talk about peaking, let’s dig into some of these numbers. So, Atlanta, they jump from 63.9 points a game in the regular season to—wait, is this right?—85.1 in the playoffs. That’s a +21-point swing! I mean, we always say, “save your best for last,” but that’s an insane leap. FG% up to .526, too—absolutely surgical.

Jimbo

Exactly. And the rotation was so deep—Beal gives you 12 a night in the playoffs, with a +10 plus-minus, and guys like Smart and Butler fill up the stat sheet when called. That’s how you get a team where, honestly, every single Hawk posted a positive in the postseason. Just relentless.

Simon Carver

You know, I usually break out in a cold sweat talking defensive schemes, so I’ll leave that for another day, but let me try to get this right. The three-point shooting is interesting: Atlanta actually fell off a bit percentage-wise from .410 in the regular season to .357 in the playoffs—but they made up for it with volume, especially with Barnes and Beal as your snipers. So, it’s like… okay, here comes a tape deck metaphor—hang with me, Jimbo—when I fix up an old deck, sometimes it’s not about getting the sound perfect, it’s about smoothing out what counts. The Hawks did this: they shored up what wasn’t working, doubled down on what was, and came out with a team that could tune up the volume when needed. Meanwhile, the Suns just couldn't find the right setting at all.

Jimbo

That’s exactly it. Atlanta brought out their best in crunch time, made adjustments—you know, tune-ups, as you’d say. The Suns, for all their paper talent, just never quite got their groove on. For the Hawks, it was about rotation depth, timing, everybody hitting their cues. Suns, it was like, someone changed the dial but forgot to plug in the speakers.

Simon Carver

Yeah, it’s the difference between a playlist and a mixtape, right? One’s just tracks, the other’s got flow. I’ll say it again—Phillip had his guys in playoff mode right when it counted. Anyway, I think that puts a bow on this season’s big themes: peaking at the right time, depth over flash, and knowing when to tweak the system. Anything you want to add before we call it, Jimbo?

Jimbo

Nah, you hit all the key points. Thanks for running point guard again, Simon. Can’t wait for next season—maybe the Suns find their rhythm, or someone else sneaks in. Either way, you know we’ll be here breaking it down. Phillip is now ahead 4-3 in championships against Joe....Joe has to be ready next season....we'll see what happens. Good hanging with ya, man.

Simon Carver

Yeah, always, Jimbo. Thanks to everyone for listening—don’t touch that dial, we’ll be back soon with all the drama from the digital hardwood. Take care and catch you next episode.