2023-24 Season Previews

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This...is a very poorly constructed article.

Trae Young is facing a make-or-break season in Atlanta

Atlanta's exciting run with Ice Trae could be reaching its melting point

There hasn't been this much parity in the NBA for a long time. The Denver Nuggets won their first-ever NBA title to top off the 2022-23 season and several heavy hitters are retooling to challenge the defending champs in 2023-24. The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors are among the hopefuls with the best shot at knocking them off. Other teams, like the Atlanta Hawks, are in no man's land.

The Hawks have of pair of All-Star caliber guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, a slew of talented wings, a solid center, and promising youth coming off the bench. However, their current personnel doesn't appear to have enough in the tank to match the success of the 2021 squad that made the Eastern Conference Finals. Atlanta seems destined to remain a middle-of-the-pack team with its current roster. The Hawks don't have the look of making a deep playoff run or rebuilding with the help of quality draft capital anytime soon.

Posting a .500 record won't be enough for Atlanta.

Young still runs the show for the Hawks and is undoubtedly one of the best creators in basketball. His scoring and efficiency dropped in his first year with Murray, but he tallied a career-high 10.2 dimes per game. Only Nikola Jokic and James Harden surpassed Young's mark of 13.9 assists per 100 possessions last season. Young has consistently posted quality scoring numbers as a volume shooter as well since entering, but his level of involvement comes with a high price that affects winning.

Young was one of the sixteen players who attempted more than 1300 shots in 2022-23. He ranked sixth in total field goal attempts with 1390. Only Jalen Green of the lowly Houston Rockets had a worse defensive rating (122) per 100 possessions than Young among that group. Atlanta's most common five-man lineup last year featured Young, Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Clint Capela. That unit's defensive rating was impressive 110.6, which would've been good for the second-best mark in the league last season. In fact, only 12 teams utilized the same lineup for more than 400 minutes last season. Only one posted a better defensive rating than the Hawks' best group. Mixing and matching different groups with Young just hasn't been successful, and change is coming in 2023-24.

Collins, who sought out a massive extension before being moved to the Utah Jazz, was an important part of Atlanta's defensive schemes at power forward. It appears like he'll be replaced by former Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey, and that could spell trouble for Atlanta. The Hawks forked up 116.2 points per game to opponents in 57 games without Bey last season. That's not great, but it's respectable. However, that figure ballooned to 122.6 points per game for the 25 games Bey was in the rotation. Just as a point of reference, the San Antonio Spurs gave up a league-high 123.1 points per game last season. Numbers like that simply don't translate to winning basketball.

That being said, the Atlanta Hawks will need to make some big decisions next offseason. Rookie extensions are looming for Bey and Onyeka Okongwu. Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart signed a four-year, $64 million contract in July. Okongwu has posted similar numbers with less opportunity and could ask for more thanks to his more impressive defensive skillset. Bey's numbers are better than both Okongwu's and Stewart's thanks to his health history and early chances to play a major starting role. Murray has already agreed to a four-year, $120 million deal that's set to start in the 2024-25 season. Atlanta might not want to commit spending so much more to role players for a roster that could very well be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

Needless to say, the Hawks are at a crossroads ahead of Quin Snyder's first full season at the helm. The best teams have made strong moves to get better and the teams just below the top tier have recreated themselves with new talent. Atlanta needs to do something to keep up, and its best option might be to move one of the game's best playmakers. Don't be surprised if Young is in new colors between now and the 2024-25 season.

CBS Sports

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Previewing the Southeast Division

A Make or Break Season for Trae Young



David Aldridge: Trae Young [is easily the player in the division with the most to prove this season.] His scoring skill is undeniable, and while he pounds the ball, he was second in the league (10.2) in assists last season — and rated highly in some advanced passing stats out there too, like potential assists per 75 possessions, from The NBA Underground. Yet the Hawks have gone through multiple coaches and a pretty good GM in Travis Schlenk in the last three years and gone from the East Finals in 2021 to a barely-in postseason berth and first-round knockout last year. Now that’s not all on Young, to be sure. Atlanta has demanding ownership, and that makes for internal organizational churn. But Young is the Hawks’ franchise player, and the franchise has been trending in the wrong direction. Young has to be part of putting things back on course.


Eric Nehm: This is a big season for the Hawks as they need to prove this version of the team is actually going to work. I think the Hawks may regret trading John Collins. I understand the Hawks have a ton of talented young players and needed to figure out the logjam of playing time for those players. Removing Collins helps in that regard, but I find myself wondering if they picked the right player to jettison. Last season was the worst 3-point shooting season of Collins’ career (29.2 percent), but the six-year NBA veteran has shown the ability to shoot it at a 40 percent clip, and his athleticism can really pop... John Collins. I think he is incredibly talented and got lost in the shuffle in Atlanta.





Which team will win the regular-season Southeast title, and which team will be the runner-up? Why will the division shake out that way?

Aldridge: Miami. Even though the Heat lost Strus and Vincent, they’ll get Tyler Herro back for a full run — unless, of course, he’s dealt for Dame — along with Kevin Love. And we all know the Heat will turn another one or more of their G Leaguers, two-ways and/or undrafted camp invitees into key rotation guys by season’s end. (Or, maybe it’ll just be their first-rounder, Jaime Jaquez Jr.) Nobody does development like Erik Spoelstra and company. I’ll take a rejuvenated Atlanta squad to finish second; though I think the Hawks will miss Collins more than they seem to think, a full camp and season of Quin Snyder on the bench should make them more efficient offensively and more connected on D.

Nehm: Miami. The Heat have won the division in three of the last four years and taken home the division crown more than any other team (12 times). No matter which players are on their roster to start the season, they should have enough talent to win it again. I saw firsthand just how special Jimmy Butler can be when he destroyed the Bucks in the Heat’s first-round upset last season, and pairing him with Spoelstra makes the Heat the favorites. And while I think the Magic and Hornets will both increase their win totals, I’m not ready to go all-in and say either team will be able to climb up to second place. I’ll just stay safe and go with D.A. and take the Hawks to finish second.

Robbins: Even if the Heat meander through the regular season like they did last year, I don’t see any of their division rivals overtaking them as long as Butler and Bam Adebayo stay relatively healthy. The Hawks have just enough firepower to hold off the Magic and the Hornets.

The Athletic

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NBA offseason grades: Rating each team’s summer moves (and non-moves) in 2023

Southeast DivisionAtlanta Hawks

Grade: C

The Hawks signed Dejounte Murray to an extension, which has to be considered a plus and speaks to Murray’s relationship with coach Quin Snyder. But from a strictly personnel standpoint, this offseason was less than great. General manager Landry Fields and owner Tony Ressler waited far too long to trade John Collins, and by the time they did, Collins had been devalued to the point that Atlanta effectively received only a second-round pick in return. The deal solved an impending luxury-tax problem, but didn’t improve the roster. They have yet to deal the overpriced De’Andre Hunter (who’s owed $90 million over four more seasons) and still are carrying two centers: Clint Capela (who’s owed $43 million for two years) and Onyeka Okongwu (who’s entering the final year of his contract). The major roster upgrade: 35-year-old Patty Mills. The team likes draft picks Kobe Bufkin, Seth Lundy and Mouhamed Gueye, but it’s dangerous to expect an immediate impact from any of them. — Jeff Schultz

https://theathletic.com/4904793/2023/09/29/nba-offseason-grades-blazers-heat-76ers/?source=twitterhq

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NBA Power Rankings

18. Atlanta Hawks



After an almost perfectly average 2022-23 in which they finished 41-41, the Atlanta Hawks are surely banking on more continuity within the Trae Young-Dejounte Murray partnership and a full offseason and training camp under coach Quin Snyder (who was hired in the middle of last season).

In theory, those things and the raw talent of Young and Murray should make Atlanta better than a .500 team, but mini breakouts from some of the young players wouldn't hurt either. AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson certainly have a shot to do that. Onyeka Okongwu, who should get more minutes following the departure of John Collins, should be in that camp too.

Bleacher Report

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3 Players With the Most to Prove

For myriad reasons, ranging from existing contracts to upcoming free agencies to anecdotal narratives to disappointing trajectories, plenty of players enter the 2023-24 season eager to prove themselves on the hardwood.

Categorizing each into one of three categories—incoming rookies (self-explanatory), up-and-comers (players with less than five years of NBA experience) and veterans (players with at least five years of experience)—we've singled out three contributors for each of the 30 squads who might already be perspiring.

Atlanta Hawks



Incoming Rookie: Kobe Bufkin
When an organization refuses to include an incoming rookie in a trade package for a two-time All-NBA player, expectations begin to skyrocket.

That exact scenario unfolded for Kobe Bufkin, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, when the Atlanta Hawks declined to move him to the Toronto Raptors as part of a deal for Pascal Siakam, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Now, the Michigan product has to prove he's worthy of the early intrigue—and the memories invoked by his first name don't exactly ease the weight of expectations, either.

Up-and-Comer: De'Andre Hunter
Four years into his NBA career, De'Andre Hunter has yet to justify the hype that came with his status as the fourth overall pick of the 2019 draft. He's been a steady role player for the Hawks and averaged 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists last year, but he has yet to develop into a game-changing force capable of elevating the ceiling of a middle-of-the-pack dweller.

Veteran: Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray was fantastic during his inaugural campaign in Atlanta, but he must continue to find his stride alongside Trae Young when the two dynamic guards share the floor. Even more importantly, he needs to shoulder more of a defensive burden by stepping up to check the bigger guards and swingmen who have plagued the Hawks for years.

Bleacher Report

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Preseason Power Rankings

16. Atlanta Hawks

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Last season: 41-41

Quin Snyder has a track record of maximizing team potential, but the X factor here is Trae Young’s willingness to buy into Snyder’s vision. The Hawks have a plethora of ballhandling options beyond Young, including Dejounte Murray, veteran Patty Mills, rookie Kobe Bufkin, and point forward Jalen Johnson, not to mention skilled wings like Bogdan Bogdanovic, AJ Griffin, and De’Andre Hunter. It’s clear as day that the Hawks are trying to build a motion system, which requires Trae to give up the ball. If Trae is all in, then the Hawks could be on the cusp. If things implode, it won’t be long until teams around the league view Young as the next star on the trade block.

The Ringer

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Preseason Power Rankings

16. Atlanta Hawks

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Last season: 41-41

Quin Snyder has a track record of maximizing team potential, but the X factor here is Trae Young’s willingness to buy into Snyder’s vision. The Hawks have a plethora of ballhandling options beyond Young, including Dejounte Murray, veteran Patty Mills, rookie Kobe Bufkin, and point forward Jalen Johnson, not to mention skilled wings like Bogdan Bogdanovic, AJ Griffin, and De’Andre Hunter. It’s clear as day that the Hawks are trying to build a motion system, which requires Trae to give up the ball. If Trae is all in, then the Hawks could be on the cusp. If things implode, it won’t be long until teams around the league view Young as the next star on the trade block.

The Ringer

The media sure loves to get stars on the move

[Geaux_Hawks]

Main reason i've been quiet this off-season is due to us not doing much after the great move of moving past the Siakam talks. At this point, it's all about what did the core guys do to improve overall. The includes buying into the new coaching. We'll see shortly, and most importantly, is the new wave of young Hawks better than the first wave. Not much to go on in this regard. Just have to see what the product looks like.

With the Murray extension and Collins trade, I rate the off-season a "B". I think the right move was to use what's on the roster to fill the starting role at the 4 spot.

[Jamaaliver]

The Atlanta Hawks Biggest Question And X-Factor

After a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks have needed to scrap through the Play-In the last two seasons just to make the playoffs and have been bounced in the first round in back-to-back years.

Coming into the 2023-24 season, the Hawks look fairly similar to last year’s squad, with the biggest difference being Quin Snyder getting a full offseason as head coach after taking over midseason last year for Nate McMillan. From a roster perspective, the most notable change is the departure of John Collins, who was traded to the Jazz in a salary dump as the Hawks wanted to move off the last three years of his deal. With Collins gone, Snyder will have to play around with the roster to fill those minutes at power forward, with the likelihood of more minutes for De’Andre Hunter at the four and smaller lineups to try and space the floor for Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Snyder will want the Hawks to be much more of a three-point threat than a year ago when they were 28th in three-point attempts and 21st in three-point percentage in the NBA.

The expectation with their star backcourt is to be a playoff team. To get there and avoid the Play-In, there is one major question and one X-Factor on the roster that figure to play key roles in if they can take a leap back into the top-6 in the East.


Biggest Question: Will The Young Players Take A Step Forward?



With Collins gone, the Hawks will lean more on their youngsters, with much of their roster being 25 years old or younger. Hunter spent the summer in trade rumors but nothing ever materialized and how he responds to that will be fascinating. Hunter impressed as a rookie, but has somewhat stagnated in terms of development, mostly looking like the same player he was when he entered the league. Part of Snyder’s task is to see if he can coax something more out of Hunter in his fifth year, particularly in the absence of Collins. However, Hunter isn’t alone when it comes to young Hawks who will be relied on heavily.

Onyeka Okongwu could get more run this year both as Clint Capela’s backup (and the expected starting center in waiting whenever Capela is no longer in Atlanta), with the chance to run some big lineups with he and Capela sharing the floor now that Collins is gone. Saddiq Bey was lights out from three in his 25 regular season games in Atlanta, and AJ Griffin, likewise, is among the Hawks best three-point threats. Both of them being positive contributors on the wing is going to be important given Snyder will be asking for Atlanta to get up more threes, but to stay in larger roles they’ll have to provide something on the defensive end as well. Hawks fans are also high on Jalen Johnson, and he figures to get some burn with Collins gone as some power forward depth who can bring some bounce to the frontcourt.

If this team is to take a step forward it figures to be on the backs of internal improvement from their youngsters. Snyder’s task is figuring out which roles and lineup combinations they’re most comfortable in to get the most out of them and provide their stars with the right amount of support.


X-Factor: Bogdan Bogdanovic



While Hunter is important, I think getting a fully healthy Bogdan Bogdanovic would be the thing that really allows the Hawks to be a factor in the East playoff picture. He has played in 44, 63, and 54 games in his three seasons in Atlanta, struggling to stay healthy and on the floor consistently. That’s been a big loss for a Hawks team that has a big need for a player of his skillset, who can be a shot creator and initiator with the second unit and a spot-up threat and off-ball worker with the first unit. Hunter isn’t at the level of Bogdanovic with either of those skills (but is a superior defender), and when Bogdanovic isn’t in the lineup or is banged up and playing at less than 100 percent, the Hawks just lack some juice offensively.

He’s coming off of a tremendous summer showing in the FIBA World Cup for Serbia and should be in great condition to start the season. The concern is whether he can maintain that conditioning throughout the 82-game season and into the playoffs, especially after taking on a big workload in the World Cup. If he can carry over that level of play, the Hawks should look much more dangerous offensively this season as he figures to bring a lot of qualities Snyder will want from Atlanta on that end of the floor this year.

Uproxx

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Brutal but accurate:

Why Your Favorite Team Won't Win the 2024 NBA Title


Atlanta Hawks

In a nutshell: Rudy Gay was the missing piece.



Imagine trusting the Atlanta Hawks to be anything other than aggressively unexceptional.

Getting a training camp and full season with head coach Quin Snyder should be worth a couple of extra victories. But they don't give out trophies just because you hit the 44-to-46-win benchmark for the first time since 2015-16.

And even that might be giving these Hawks too much credit. They remain First Team All "Going to Tell Us They're Not Trying to Cut Costs While Doing Everything in Their Power to Cut Costs."

Pretend like they'll use even a sliver of their $23 million trade exception to improve the roster if you must. You're setting yourself up for heartache. They only have that TPE because they salary-dumped a player, in John Collins, whom they repeatedly nudged further and further away from his functional strengths despite paying him like a core piece. No wonder he's already throwing shade their way.

The current roster is built in a way that spells a predictable end: Atlanta flaming out in a haze of not-enough-threes, wings who don't play enough defense, Trae Young's sense of self, closed-door meetings and anonymously sourced reports, disseminated on the app forever known as Twitter with typos that necessitate reposts, about said closed-door meetings.

Bleacher Report

[jayu70]

Brutal but accurate:

Why Your Favorite Team Won't Win the 2024 NBA Title


Atlanta Hawks

In a nutshell: Rudy Gay was the missing piece.



Imagine trusting the Atlanta Hawks to be anything other than aggressively unexceptional.

Getting a training camp and full season with head coach Quin Snyder should be worth a couple of extra victories. But they don't give out trophies just because you hit the 44-to-46-win benchmark for the first time since 2015-16.

And even that might be giving these Hawks too much credit. They remain First Team All "Going to Tell Us They're Not Trying to Cut Costs While Doing Everything in Their Power to Cut Costs."

Pretend like they'll use even a sliver of their $23 million trade exception to improve the roster if you must. You're setting yourself up for heartache. They only have that TPE because they salary-dumped a player, in John Collins, whom they repeatedly nudged further and further away from his functional strengths despite paying him like a core piece. No wonder he's already throwing shade their way.

The current roster is built in a way that spells a predictable end: Atlanta flaming out in a haze of not-enough-threes, wings who don't play enough defense, Trae Young's sense of self, closed-door meetings and anonymously sourced reports, disseminated on the app forever known as Twitter with typos that necessitate reposts, about said closed-door meetings.

Bleacher Report

I didn't like the trade return particularly as a salary dump, but in the early preseason it doesn't look like Utah is using him any differently.

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Hawks not even among Reggie's top 10 EC teams?!?

Brutal...

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Hawks not even among Reggie's top 10 EC teams?!?

Brutal...

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that's some twilight zone stuff.

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