Hawks -- State of the Franchise

[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

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Midseason Report Cards:

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NBA's Biggest Winners and Losers from January


Loser: Atlanta Hawks



Coming into this season, it was easy to buy into the Atlanta Hawks as a potential bounce-back candidate.

The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray combo had a full year of experience together. After joining the team in the middle of 2022-23, Quin Snyder had a full offseason and training camp to implement his vision for 2023-24. And there were a number of supporting players, like Bogdan Bogdanović, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, who made plenty of theoretical sense around Young and Murray.

Fast-forward to February, and it now seems clear that this particular group doesn't have it. And when I say "it," I don't even mean the grit to compete for a title. At this point, this team is a long shot to make the postseason at all.

After another sub-.500 month in January, Atlanta might even be a seller at the trade deadline. Murray's name has certainly been in the rumor mill plenty this season, and it wouldn't be surprising to have Clint Capela and Bogdanović join him.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

We’ve reached the end stages of this version of the Hawks

The tipping off of Year 2 of Dejounte Murray and (full) Year 1 of head coach Quin Snyder and his staff were thought to signal the start of a new era in 2023-24 — an era with a renewed focus on player development and analytical tools to gain edges around the margins.

But the Hawks are now 20-27 and clinging to a Play-In Tournament spot with a net rating that is tanking fast.



And so, it’s increasingly clear that this team just doesn’t have it.

This is a team that leaks points on the defensive end, maybe even at a historic rate. It’s a team with very shallow depth — one where a couple of injury hits to rotation players dooms the immediate and even long term chances at success. And most alarmingly, it’s recently a team with poor offensive spacing due to cold outside shooting, something that was long presumed to be a major strength.

You can even look to Las Vegas to see how much the betting masses were fooled by this Hawks team. Atlanta is an astoundingly bad 12-35 (.255) against the spread (ATS) as of February 1st, which, if it held through the course of the entire season, would shatter the worst recorded ‘ATS’ mark dating back to 2003-2004.

Even the wins don’t inspire confidence.

So, how did we get here?

[T]ime has run out on Trae Young and Dejounte Murray together in Atlanta....when looking at the results from when Young and Murray have shared the floor, the output has been entirely underwhelming. Any way you slice it — eye test, winning percentage, raw or adjusted plus-minus metrics, or whatever impact statistic du jour — it all paints a picture where one of the pair on the floor is better than both together.

The initial Dejounte Murray trade is quickly headed into ‘ill-fated’ territory, especially if the Hawks are forced to sell him for less than they gave up to get him. But the organization needs to accept that assets given up in 2022 — the main pieces being a 2025 unconditional first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick swap rights, and a 2027 unconditional first-round pick — are a sunk cost, full stop. The ramifications of the deal ultimately make the path of building through the draft going forward narrower but not at all impossible.

It’s always difficult to admit when things are over. But we have ample evidence that there is no new level for this team to reach. There is no real ceiling that can be shattered. And for these reasons, I’m out on the Young-Murray era after just one and a half seasons.

It’s entirely possible that Murray remains on the Hawks beyond the trade deadline — as awkward as that scenario may be. But then this same tired conversation just will be revisited in the offseason.

The singular conclusion: it’s over.

It was a bold, though unnecessary even at the time, gamble at springing the team forward. There’s no need to rehash who or by what mechanism ultimately executed such a pivotal trade anymore. It just didn’t work. And the sooner the bandage is ripped off, the quicker the healing process will be.

Peachtree Hoops

[jayu70]

Until Ressler stops intruding on making player personnel decisions and circumventing the GM, and an outright refusal to pay the tax, we'll keep circling the wagon.
Blocked the Milsap trade by Bud, wanted the DJ trade and stuff like this:

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[HMFFL]

Until Ressler stops intruding on making player personnel decisions and circumventing the GM, and an outright refusal to pay the tax, we'll keep circling the wagon.
Blocked the Milsap trade by Bud, wanted the DJ trade and stuff like this:

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That's something I didn't know. Wow, we're are stepping stone team to the leagues greatest.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

I wonder if this mid season win streak going into the trade deadline changes the direction the front office goes in.

Seems like that is usually the case for this team

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[Jamaaliver]

That's a great run of Hall of Famers that Trae just dispatched this week:

[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

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[Jamaaliver]

We're unlikely to make it all the way to the 6 seed and avoid the Play-In.

What are the best matchups for us in the Play-In?
I think we can beat an inexperienced Orlando Team if we're healthy. And if we can avoid the Celtics in Round 1...we might be in line for a nice postseason run.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Hard Truths...

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[jayu70]

Hard Truths...

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"As presently contructed" - I think this has been the consensus since early in the season when we took a hard look at the entirety of the roster and lack of depth and realized the owner's unwillingly to spend.
They are just late to the party.

[Jamaaliver]

Tweet of the Day:

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[jayu70]

Tweet of the Day:

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that was funny

[jayu70]

Atlanta Hawks Transactions since the 2021 Conference Finals Run:

2021 Offseason:
July 8th, 2021: Nate McMillan signs a multi-year contract
7/27: Kris Dunn picks up player option
7/29: Draft Jalen Johnson 20th overall, Sharife Cooper #48
8/5: Solomon Hill signed to a 1-year vet min
8/6: Trae signed to rookie supermax contract extension John Collins signed a 5 year/$125M contract Lou Will signed 1 year/$5m
8/7: Traded away Bruno, Dunn & a 2nd in a 3-team trade to acquire Delon Wright
8/9: Signed Dieng to a 1 year/$4M
8/26: Skylar Mays signed on a 2-way
9/1: Clint extended on a 2 year/$45.44M
9/9: TLC signed
10/18: Kevin signs a 4 year/$65M extension

2021-2022 Season:
January 13th, 2022: Cam Reddish, Solomon Hill & a 2nd traded to the Knicks for CHA 1st & cash considerations
2022 Offseason:
June 13th, 2022: Landry Fields promoted to general manager
6/23: A.J. Griffin drafted 16th, Ryan Rollins (#44) traded to GSW for $2M & Tyrese Martin
6/30: Danilo Gallinari sent to the Spurs with the CHA 1st (Reddish trade), ’25 unprotected 1st, ’27 unprotected 1st, ’26 1st pick swap for Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale
7/6: Kevin Huerter traded to the Kings for Justin Holiday, Maurice Harkless and a 1st Traded Landale to the Suns for Cash
7/12: Signed Kaminsky to a 1 year min
7/16: Tyrese Martin signed to a 2 year/$2.74M
7/25: Sharife Cooper waived
8/8: Trent Forrest signed a 2-way
9/12: Jarrett Culver signed a 2-way
9/27: Maurice Harkless traded to OKC for Vit Krejci
10/17: De’Andre Hunter signs a 4 year/$95M rookie contract extension

2022-2023 Season:
December 21st, 2022: Travis Schelnk steps down as President of Basketball Operations, Fields replaces him
1/14: Jarrett Culver waived
2/9: Kevin Knox & 4 2nds (’23-’26) sent to Portland, 2 2nds (’26 & ’28) sent to GSW for Saddiq Bey as part of a 4-team trade Justin Holiday, Frank Kaminsky and 2 OKC 2nds sent to HOU for Garrison Mathews & Bruno Fernando
2/21: Nate McMillan fired
2/26: Quin Snyder signs a 5 year contract 3/16: Bogdan Bogdanovic signs a 4 year/$68M extension

2023 Offseason:
June 22nd, 2023: Kobe Bufkin drafted 15th, Seth Lundy #46, trade for Mouhamed Gueye for ’27 2nd
7/1: Acquired TyTy Washington, Usman Garuba & 2 Hou 2nds for Alpha Kaba in a 5-team trade ($1.1M sent from OKC)
7/7: John Collins traded to Utah for Rudy Gay and a 2026 2nd
7/9: Dejounte Murray extended on a 4-year/$120M contract
7/12: TyTy Washington, Rudy Gay, Usman Garuba & a 2nd traded to OKC for Patty Mills
7/21: Wesley Matthews signed to a 1 year/$3.2M
7/21: Tyrese Martin waived
8/16: Vit Krejci waived
9/12: Trent Forrest signed a 2-way
9/23: Onyeka Okongwu signed a 4 year/$62M rookie contract extension

[Jamaaliver]

In the 10 Games prior to the All Star Break, Hawks had the #1 Offense in the NBA and went 6-4 during that span.

I know the two underwhelming losses to CHA and CHI dampened enthusiasm. But we really did seem to be turning a corner before Clint's injury.

[CP War Hawks]

Offense has never been an issue with Trae running it even with questionable shooters and mostly non effective offensive bigs. The Hawks have failed him by not implanting more long and athletic defenders.

[Jamaaliver]

This tells me it isn't talent or scheme...it's effort.

Something that can't be quantified by mathematical equations.

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[jayu70]

This tells me it isn't talent or scheme...it's effort.

Something that can't be quantified by mathematical equations.

Part of that is the lack of depth. If one starter is missing it snowballs forcing guys who shouldn't be rotation worthy to play and then the starters playing extended minutes. It adds up.