The Atlanta Hawks are considered by most fans an above-average team in the NBA but not a contender for the championship. After the 2021-2022 season came to an end, the Atlanta Hawks organization went to work putting together a team. This team would come looking strong with an enormous ceiling.
While this team is still extremely young and still has a significant amount of growth to do in the league, the accolades they hold as a group of players, along with the new additions in the off-season, puts the Atlanta Hawks ahead of other young teams in the future.
Trae Young
Leading this team is all-star Trae Young; this 6’1” point guard looks to be the second coming of Steph Curry. Young’s speed and ability to stop on the dime allow him to easily find open space from defenders. Pair that with a deep bag and a second-to-none three-point shot Trae Young’s offensive game is phenomenal.
Although this can’t be said on the defensive side where Young lacks most in his game, this doesn’t stop the two-time all-star from dominating teams and taking over games not only in the regular season but also in the playoffs.
2020-2021 Eastern Conference Finals Appearance
In this playoff run, the Atlanta Hawks made their first mark on the league by leading a villain role throughout the playoffs. It started in the first round when the Atlanta Hawks took on the New York Knicks in a seven-game series. The series was heated with tons of trash talk from both sides; in the end, the Hawks would close out the series in five.
In the conference semis, the Atlanta Hawks took on the number one seed Philadelphia 76ers. To every fan’s surprise, the Hawks took down the 76ers in seven games and took a trip to the conference finals. They would then face the Milwaukee Bucks and lose in six; this did not taint the narrative that had already been written about the Hawks coming out of that playoff run. Being a five-seed the Atlanta Hawks made it farther than the media and fans expected, showing their not to be underestimated.
Key Players
In the 2022 off-season the Hawks would trade for guard Dejonte Murray who had just come from the San Antonio Spurs. This was an exceptional move allowing to take some of the offensive weight off of Young’s shoulders. Pair with good defense will only make the team stronger.
The Robin to Trae Young, John Collins, has come back to play for another year to play for the Hawks. Collins is an essential part to this Hawks team bringing an electric presence in the interior. Along with solid defense and a great lob partner for Trae Young is a great look for the Hawks to have kept him on there roster.
