Season's practically over with... have the 18-19 Hawks outperformed your expectations?

[_s_t_u_r_t_]

They have mine.

I wish Squawk was still up so I could look back and see, but I think I went so far as to say that this team would not defeat ANY team that they had no business defeating.

They had no business defeating the Sixers in mid-January... IN Philly.

About 4 days later, they REALLY had no business defeating the Thunder.

They had no business defeating the Jazz a few days ago.

And they had no business defeating the Sixers... again... last night.

This has the makings of a team that could eventually threaten the success of some of the best Atlanta Hawks teams ever.

On the other hand, the downside is... this has the makings of a team that could only eventually threaten the success of some of the best ATL teams ever.

We've paid the price of this two-year tank in order to achieve something no Atlanta Hawks team has ever achieved... but right now, our ceiling seems to be only about what the best ATL teams have ever done... not what we bargained for, which, I'd thought anyway, is to become the Eastern Conference's prime competitor for championships for a period of years.

This is progress. Good progress. Unexpectedly good progress. A lot of reason for optimism.

But reaching 2nd gear before expected is only fulfilling if we eventually reach 5th gear. There is a turbo boost still vitally needed.

Ending this post on a positive note... I'm one of those Inclined to think Schlenk seems to understand that.

[jayu70]

I had them at 25 wins here and on the Squawk.
So....Yes, exceeded win/loss expectations.
We have developed a two headed scoring machine in Trae and John.
The development of the Rookies (even fatty Spellman) exceeded my expectations. Especially Huerter who I had pegged for the GLeague.
Bembry being healthy for the entire season is a very pleasant surprise.

[Geaux_Hawks]

Had them pegged at 18 wins on the low side, and 25 wins on the high. Definitely surprised by them this year.

[High 5]

I predicted 28 wins, but I thought Prince, Baze, Dedmon, and Lin would have more to do with those wins. The fact that we're winning so much on the backs of 20 and 21 year olds is more encouraging than I expected.

And I still think it's bananas to be concerned about our ceiling at this point. Schlenk is just getting started.

[REHawksFan]

Ever the optimist, on the Squawk I had them at 33 or 34 wins I believe. However I'm not disappointed in the least as they have actually played better at times than I thought they would. The rooks are so exciting that the future is bright.

[EazyRoc]

I had them in the low-mid 20s. Still didn’t expect them to be as fun to watch as they are.

[King Ken]

Early on they completely underperformed, especially Trae in November. At this point, they performed admirably. Trae looks like a future superstar. Collins is the modern generation Karl Malone. Kevin looks tremendous. We got a core. We still need more but we clearly have done well so far.

[benhillboy]

Hell yeah they have. The first month I didn’t think Ice Trae the Game and CLP The Don were cut out for this. 4 months later I realize they were built for it.

Me and Young Spud both predicted 27 wins. Unless the Hawks can come up with another upset I think we’ll be spot on after we drag the Pelicans.

I hate the way the scoring defense looks based on our pace (dead last) when we rebound so well (6th overall) and are above average in steals and blocks. I expect Schlenk to slowly but surely tighten our screws on defense through FA. Trae and John need all the assistance they can get on that end.

Offensively can’t complain at all. Improved from dead last in 3 point shooting to 17th. Being 9th in assists made it a seamless transition from #BudBall styled ball movement, even moreso with the outstanding offensive rebounding mixed in.

Kevin looks like he’s on a steady incline for 5 years. As he gets stronger, he’ll get to the line more and just explode. Love watching his focus on defense and floor game, it takes a special dude to be +28 on Jimmy Butler with 7 points and 4 fouls.

As stated earlier, Bembry being healthy for a full season was key. He’s got to become at least an even player on offense to justify his minutes next year. Being a standout defender and dunking backwards in traffic (still can’t believe that one) won’t be enough for this team’s next phase.

Love Ded and Len (132 made threes!) but we all know an upgrade has to be made.

My feelings on our wings who can’t keep a starting job are well documented. We have to unload Baze and TP to move forward. I’ll make a call on Spelman, Poythress, and Adams if they show strides in Summer League.

Based on his current track record I can’t wait for Schlenk to finesse this draft once again. With the fanfare Trae and John have garnered, these dumb ass FA better take the Hawks’ calls with some excitement out this mf.

[D21]

As stated earlier, Bembry being healthy for a full season was key. He’s got to become at least an even player on offense to justify his minutes next year. Being a standout defender and dunking backwards in traffic (still can’t believe that one) won’t be enough for this team’s next phase.

Bembry looks like he has a very good feel for the game. I really hope for him to stay healthy because I suspect that all these injuries are part of his offensive game not being more completed. With more confidence in his health, I'm sure he can develop a good offensive game. It would be sad to not see it because he's a special potential, not an all-star level but one that a championship team needs

[Sothron]

Yes. They looked really awful the first month and half or so of the season. Since then something has clicked on offense and they team has grown. Trae Young is a superstar in the making. Collins is an All Star in the making. The only thing holding us back is the complete lack of any defense. That has to be the next step for our team's growth.

[ATL Boy]

I think I had 23 wins. Yes, they've absolutely exceeded my expectations as a whole, as have John Collins and Trae Young individually. I thought they'd be good, but not nearly this good this fast.

[observer1995]

I said 25-28 wins at the ded forum I believe. Ended up meeting my win expectations (maybe ending up exceeding by 1 but I have no expectations for the rest of the season) but I'm a little surprised at how it went. By 29 games in I thought no way that they had a chance.

Young is ahead of where I thought he'd be and Collins really transformed the offense once he returned.

[personanongrata]

I had them at 28 wins.

[shakes0]

Definitely! I didn't know anything about the Hawks when I became a fan on June 21, 2018. I knew a couple of their players, I knew Collins and that he had a very good rookie year. But, other than that, I figured they had the worst roster in the league and would struggle to win 15 games. I knew I was going to watch every one of those games b/c of Trae, but I assumed it would not be too exciting.

Boy was I pleasantly surprised. As we all know, this is actually a very fun team to watch play. And they're much better than even their record suggests. Haven't missed a game all year...the only hard thing is cheering the team on while also hoping they tank so they can get Zion. I always end up cheering for a win cause this team is so fun and I feel bad for Trae and co. if they lose.



All that said, I hope people temper their expectations for next year. It's a long way from showing promise to being a playoff team. I know lots of Bulls fans were predicting the Bulls would contend for a playoff spot this year which I thought was crazy, but the Bulls showed some progress last year and lots of fans bought into it. This ATL team could still be a couple years away from playoff status despite the obvious potential.

[Jamaaliver]

Final Report Card Grades for Every NBA Team

Atlanta Hawks: B+



It was a rebuilding year but not a tanking one for the Atlanta Hawks, who witnessed several of their young cornerstones make sizable, future-brightening leaps.

Maybe history won't remember the Trae Young-for-Luka Doncic draft-night swap favorably, but the former's post-All-Star surge has early evaluators rethinking the failing grades that initially rained down on the Hawks. Young started looking every bit like the offensive wrecking ball he was in college, sprinting to his first NBA campaign's finish line with second-half averages of 24.8 points, 9.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds.

Springy sophomore big man John Collins played his way into All-Star consideration. While he didn't make the cut this time, his steady production—19.5 points and 9.5 boards per game—suggests the 21-year-old could get the call sooner than later. Freshman Kevin Huerter looks like a long-lost Splash Sibling (131 triples at a 37.8 percent clip), while Taurean Prince has given the Hawks reasons to consider him as a long-term keeper.

If Atlanta made a misstep, it was not being more involved at the trade deadline. The Hawks talked trades regarding several plug-and-play veterans who presumably would've added to the asset collection, but they apparently couldn't find the right offers for any of them.

Bleacher Report

[Atlanta Hawk Fan]

I had the Hawks projected for 28 wins so pretty close to where they will finish. What is super encouraging for me is that Collins started beast mode this year (I expected him to take a big step forward but this was great) and both Trae and Huerter significantly exceeded my expectations for them. Huerter was closer to where I had him pegged but I didn't expect his perimeter efficiency to be this solid this fast and his D was better than expected. Trae's passing fundamentally exceeded my expectations to the point where I had already turned around to full positive on him even before he turned around his shooting (I always figured that would come). The other area where he dramatically exceeded my expectations was his ability to drive the ball effectively. Couldn't be happier with his development over his rookie season.

On other players, Len and Dedmon did about what I expected - both useful role players. Prince fell short of what I hoped and is now a big question mark whether he has a future with the team. Bembry did what I was hoping in stepping up and becoming a key rotation player. I had little in the way of expectations for Spellman and he showed the skills to be a useful rotation piece. Vince had more left in the tank than I expected and Lin did a fine job working with Trae while he was here. I still hate giving up a first round pick for Lin (or foregoing Denver's pick more precisely) but I can't second guess Trae's development so I'm happier with that deal than I was preseason. Rest of the roster is just fodder.

Season Grade: A

[kg01]

Absolutely, yes.

I want to make special mention of the coaching staff. I soured on CLP because of his hires but I was dead-arse wrong. CLP impressed me with his demeanor, his candor, his in-game coaching and his culture-setting. Tremendous job this year.

Hopefully they can stay on an upward trajectory.

[lethalweapon3]

Records-wise, they got this team right about where I'd hoped they'd be at this juncture.

Although not quite in the standings.

Biased by eternal optimism, the Lethalputer had Brooklyn and Orlando flaming out and finishing worse than the Hawks, who I had as 5th-worst in the East alone (7th-worst overall, slightly ahead of Dallas). I'm sure glad to be wrong on those fronts!

They'd certainly have outperformed had John Collins (22 games missed) been upright from the jump. Watching him and dead-in-the-water guys like Alex Len and DeAndre' Bembry expand their overall skillsets, and look joyous in the attempt, was in turn a joy for me to witness.

Trae's demeanor throughout this uphill rookie campaign has been infectious, and the fans' spirits are lifted because his competitive spirit has remained so. If he gets an individual honor, that's great, but he doesn't need to win an award this June for Hawks fans to feel confident Atlanta got the deal right last year. The more meaningful trophies can come later.

The vets the team brought in to support the young cluster was near-perfect, and I would not be upset to see the elders seeking out new contracts back in Torch Red come October. I'd have liked to have seen better defensive-minded teammates for the upstarts to learn from. But we were trying to stay comfortably below .500 this season, and especially once the offense took off, something had to give. Lapses during starts and ends of quarters and halves remain the norm, yet the collective and individual players indeed did improve defensively in the back end of the season.

I wanna give a shout-out to whoever at the Hawks wishes to privately take credit for that glorious Tank Bubble, the two-sided buffer that carried us right on through the entire second-half. While about every team got to hand-wringing over each searing win/loss, we got cozy at the 5th pre-Lottery spot and stayed right there. The Tank Bubble, plus Collins' early injury, allowed us to stiff-arm Dallas' too-late charge to improve their pick odds by overtaking us in the upside-down standings.


~lw3

[Hazer]

I predicted 28 wins, happy to be very close but wrong on that one. Also predicted the 30-win threshold was very obtainable, so hoping for a win tonight. Also predicted 12th in the East. So they’re about where I expected. Dr. Feel-Not-So-Good, who said he probably needed to adjust his 18-win prediction downward since rookies can’t perform in year 1 and CLP was crap since no one else even interviewed him and Hawks would be worst team in the NBA, called me “delusional” for those predictions. Yat, Doc?

[Atlanta Hawk Fan]

I predicted 28 wins, happy to be very close but wrong on that one. Also predicted the 30-win threshold was very obtainable, so hoping for a win tonight. Also predicted 12th in the East. So they’re about where I expected. Dr. Feel-Not-So-Good, who said he probably needed to adjust his 18-win prediction downward since rookies can’t perform in year 1 and CLP was crap since no one else even interviewed him and Hawks would be worst team in the NBA, called me “delusional” for those predictions. Yat, Doc?

The good doctor deserves to eat a heaping portion of crow after his second consecutive season of wildly inaccurate predictions. I'm glad this time it was the Hawks that he grossly underestimated instead of the Sixers!