The Hawks Talon Gaming Club have a couple of tough contests ahead of them over the next few days. The first happens tonight, when Atlanta’s ESports team goes against Raptors Uprising GC.
“We play in a league where on any night, any team can be good,” Talon coach Wesley Acuff said. “So we’ve prepared the same way we always prepare. Playing the Raptors, we already saw them in the tipoff, so we don’t want to approach them the same way we did there.
We’re looking at different ways to attack that matchup and try to be successful.”
After a season of playing remotely, often in their apartments or residences, the Talon players and coaches are enjoying the luxury of playing in a dedicated gaming space.
“It’s dope. We just got about 10 times the space, so we have more things for the guys to do. They have the lounge, where guys can play some pickup and stuff. We got an area where we can sit down and watch film and prepare for games too. And we’ve done our best to replicate the stage in New York, so we have the guys playing in a circle to create that competitive atmosphere.”
The second game, played on Saturday, also tips off at 7 P.M. Should the Hawks win both games against the Toronto-based club, Heat Checking Gaming could be facing a team who is on a three game winning streak after starting the season 0-3. When asked if late tip-off times are a boon or a nuisance, coach Acuff had this to say.
“When you have to get so many games in and matchups per night, they’ve had that idea in mind to try to shorten the night. You can go to the command center and choose which game to watch each night. I think starting at 6:00 is a good idea, because starting too early can be a bad thing. You want to give guys time to wake up, since gamers can have weird hours.”
As with any season, the roster has changed from last year. Newcomers like Caesar “CEEZ” Martinez and Michael “SWANN” Swanegan have complimented mainstays Michael “BP” Diaz-Cruz and Lee “LEE” Lamb. Coach Acuff said different situations call for different styles of coaching.
“I tell these guys all the time, I’m gonna battle with you. I’m energetic and passionate about the game, so there’s bonding moments. When you get the stop, I feel like I got the stop too. I want them to know I have their back.”
“There’s definitely times when I’m not so happy with the play, and they can tell. But I balance that with reassurance and confidence boosters that can reach them in a different way. So I think it is all part of the game.”
What is Hawks Talon GC:
Hawks Talon GC is the Atlanta Hawks affiliate team in the NBA 2K League. Led by Head Coach Wesley Acuff, Hawks Talon GC was one of four expansion teams in the second season of the NBA 2K League, a professional competitive gaming league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). The NBA 2K League features the best NBA 2K players in the world competing as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against other teams in a mix of regular season games, tournaments and playoffs. For more information on Hawks Talon GC, visit hawkstalongc.gg or follow the team on Twitter and Instagram.
(Email Joseph Dycus at joseph.a.dycus@gmail.com)