NFL
By: Mark Wilson
The Atlanta Hawks were the darlings or enemies of the 2020 NBA playoffs depending on who you ask. With Trae Young guiding the way, the Hawks rose to stardom while reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and then everything went silent. The following season, the Hawks, still led by Young actually won more games than they did in 2020 but something was just off. The team never found that bounce they had the year before.
A look down their roster will show that they went into the season with literally the same team, if not better. But what clicked for them during that magical playoff run, was no longer clicking. Instead of repeating that feat, they were bounced in the first round by the Miami Heat.
Young’s stardom rose as he averaged 28.4 points and 9.7 assists, but the help he needed wasn’t there. Or was it? John Collins put together another solid campaign with 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds and the perimeter shooting was there with De’Andre Hunter (13.4 points), Kevin Huerter (12.1 points), and Bogdan Bogdanovic (15.1 points). And how can we forget about players such as Clint Capella (11.1 points and 11.9 rebounds) and super-sub Danilo Gallinari (11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds)? The Hawks were stacked.
So What Exactly Happened To The Atlanta Hawks
Well, that’s the mystery and the one question they must get answered before this new season starts. During the offseason, the Hawks pulled a surprising move and made a trade for San Antonio Spurs PG Dejonte Murray. What was the point of that? Was that a great move or one made out of panic? It could be a bit of both.
While the Atlanta Hawks are still young enough to grow into the role of Eastern Conference powerhouse, the rest of the Conference is also improving. What makes this season such a doe-or-die for this team is that if anything goes wrong, there could be chatter that the ceiling has been reached.
Murray is a solid player. Last season for the Spurs the PG averaged 21.2 points, 2.0 steals, and 9.2 assists. Talent-wise, he’s an upgrade but how will he and Young fit into the same backcourt where both players are accustomed to having the ball in their hands? Which player will take on a lesser role as far as facilitating? During the 2021 season, Young attempted 20.3 shots per game while Murray averaged 18.3. Between the two of them, that’s close to 40 shots per game. Where is the room for the role players?
Adding talent is one thing but adding pieces is another. Was this the best move for the Hawks? It does strengthen their bench but did they address the glaring holes on their roster? What are their plans for Collins? There was chatter he was being shopped this offseason and since nothing materialized, will that fracture the team’s morale?
The Future For The Atlanta Hawks
As good as the Atlanta Hawks think they have it, the other teams in the East have not fallen back. The Brooklyn Nets still have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The Philadelphia 76ers still have Joel Embiid and James Harden. The Milwaukee Bucks will have Giannis antrmpoukup , Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton. The Heat are still solid and there is no way to forget about the Boston Celtics.
Does Murray equal another 10-12 wins on the season? This current core is young and they have years left on their contracts besides Capella and Hunter’s who are up after this year. Will they resign? Collins may be shipped before the trade deadline and then you have to account for the happiness of Young. He could be in the Damian Lillard discussion as wanting to stay loyal but right now, who knows. but another disappointing season could lead to big changes if they can’t live up to expectations.
Winning can cure everything for the Atlanta Hawks but not living up to expectations this season can change the direction of their organization. If they fail to make it out of the second round this year, will the whispers get louder that changes are needed?
