Just how good is this young Hawks core?

[graymule]

Deep, balanced attack, both on offense and defense. Not dependent on one super star but a united, team effort.
Question: Of the 14 Hawks who played last night, how many were old men by NBA standards?

[tbhawksfan1]

Dynasty good

[Jamaaliver]

Young Core Rankings

Who has the brightest future in the NBA? We ranked each team’s collection of under-25 players based on their projections through the next half-decade.



1. Atlanta Hawks

Wins above replacement: 127.2
Best under-25 players: Trae Young (30.3), John Collins (23.0), Kevin Huerter (18.5)
Previous rankings: 4th, 9th

The Timberwolves haven’t won a playoff series since 2004, the Magic since 2010, the Grizzlies since 2015, and the Pelicans since 2018. Atlanta, meanwhile, lands the top spot fresh off a run to the conference finals.

The Hawks are wonderfully situated for both the present and future, not just with Young, the showstopper, or with Collins and Huerter—both recently extended—but with Onyeka Okongwu (13.2 WAR), De’Andre Hunter (13.0), and Cam Reddish (10.5) as well. That’s six different young Hawks with double-digit WAR projections through the next half-decade. They’d be in an enviable position even if they didn’t also have productive veterans like Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic.

The most pressing question for the franchise is whether it can afford to pay all the promising U25 wings when their entry-level contracts expire—but if they’re all worth extending at that time, then too many good players is a good problem to have. We have a new no. 1 young core and a new, potentially perennial contender in the East all in one.

2. New Orleans Pelicans

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

4. Memphis Grizzlies

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

Which NBA Teams Have the Best Young Cores Right Now?



2. Atlanta Hawks

The Core: Trae Young (23), John Collins (24), De'Andre Hunter (23), Cam Reddish (22), Kevin Huerter (23), Jalen Johnson (19), Sharife Cooper (20), Onyeka Okongwu (20)

What's to Like?

Trae Young has been one of the most impactful offensive players in the league for over two years, the rare kind of orchestrator whose shooting and passing basically assure his team will score at elite rates whenever he's on the court. The Golden State Warriors, who happen to sport the NBA's best defensive rating, had to box-and-one him just last week.

Young must be accounted for the moment he crosses half court, is one of the top-five passers in the league and has already guided his team to a conference finals. He's the only player with at least 5,000 points and 1,900 assists since the start of the 2018-19 season.

John Collins is a legitimate $100 million big man, but he's embraced doing the little things. Meanwhile, De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter give the Hawks three bites at the apple on the wing. Hunter is the most complete of the trio, and he was on a breakout trajectory before a knee injury last season. At worst, he's a two-way forward who'll belong on the floor at the end of postseason games.

Reddish has the highest upside, particularly on D, and Huerter is more than capable as a secondary playmaker with a sweet stroke that seems like it should go through the net more often.

Don't forget about Onyeka Okongwu, sidelined by a shoulder injury and stuck behind Clint Capela and Collins. He came off the board at No. 6 in 2020 because he projects as a switchable modern center.

Atlanta has a clear superstar and a bunch of quality starters with good chances to get better. There's depth here, and few teams have gone as far on the strength of their young talent as the Hawks have.

This is almost as good as it gets.

What's Not to Like?

Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper are lottery tickets and a long way from cracking such an established rotation, and if you're skeptical about the injury-hit 2020 playoffs, you might look sideways at the Hawks as conference finalists.

Off to a disappointing 5-9 start this season, Atlanta's youth isn't backing up what it accomplished a year ago.

Bleacher Report

[shakes0]

Here is my one word breakdown of our young core:

Trae: Amazing
Collins: Fantastic
Hunter: Meh
Reddish: Stupid
Huerter: Soft
Onyeka: Maybe
Cooper: possible
JJ: intriguing

[Jamaaliver]

Richard Jefferson is late to the party.

Watch on YouTube

[Jamaaliver]

Ranking the NBA's Top Duos Under 25 Right Now

1. Trae Young and John Collins, Atlanta Hawks



John Collins and Trae Young grab the top spot without much resistance. Theirs is a dynamic that has already fueled an Eastern Conference Finals appearance and, more importantly, isn't the least bit one-sided.

Young no doubt fortifies their standing as someone who is inarguably best-player-on-a-title-team material. His superstardom is only further solidified through its endurance of adjusted officiating.

The emphasis on unnatural offensive movements has not harshed his impact. Dead-eye accuracy from beyond the arc and mid-range float his 26 points per game, and he remains one of the league's premier passers, with a doctorate in throwing lobs and threading needles.

Collins' utility, meanwhile, is more comprehensive than ever. He remains an effective screener, a lethal floor-runner who has improved his passing on the roll. But he needn't be the primary pick-setter to leave his mark. He can dot the arc, duck in for catches around the basket, establish position in the post, even put the ball on the floor.

Cynicism used to define Collins' defense. It doesn't anymore. He is better in almost every way imaginable. Slotting him at the 5 can still be an overextension, but he holds his own away from the basket and is a pretty reliable helper and rim protector. Opponents are shooting 56 percent against him at the hoop—nearly eight points below the league average of 63.7.

No other duo strikes this balance of immediate stardom. Neither is a something-in-waiting. Young can headline a contender right now. Collins has an All-Star case right now. And so, they are here, at No. 1, right now.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

After Cam's defection, Collins' struggles, Huerter's inconsistency and Hunter's repeated injuries -- how do we feel about this core now?

6 months after being listed among the best in the league...

[shakes0]

Here is my one word breakdown of our young core:

Trae: Amazing
Collins: Fantastic
Hunter: Meh
Reddish: Stupid
Huerter: Soft
Onyeka: Maybe
Cooper: possible
JJ: intriguing

mine from last November are pretty much dead on. I would downgrade Collins a bit and upgrade OO a bit, but other than that no changes.

[tbhawksfan1]

I think that we need a coach and development team that can get more out of this. Too much talent for what we've been seeing

[Jamaaliver]

I need a hug

Read on Twitter

[DirtybirdGA]

Still young, but not a core anymore.

[Jamaaliver]

It's that time of year again. How do we rate the Hawks young core of players compared to the rest of the league?

Ranking Best Young NBA Cores

5. Atlanta Hawks



The Core: Trae Young (24), John Collins (25), De'Andre Hunter (25), Onyeka Okongwu (22)

Other Young Talent: Jalen Johnson (21), AJ Griffin (19), Sharife Cooper (21)

Dejounte Murray just missed inclusion heading into his age-26 season. Young has been one of the best individual offensive players in the league for three years now, which pretty much removes him from consideration as a prospect. Whatever upside he has left will mostly be subtle and, the Atlanta Hawks hope, on the defensive end. It would be difficult for the two-time All-Star to get much better as an offensive engine after leading the NBA in total points and assists last season.

Like Young, some of Atlanta's other young pieces are close to aging out. Collins and Hunter are entering their age-25 seasons, which probably means they're nearing their productive peaks. Hunter once appeared to have an elite three-and-D forward future, but injuries interrupted his progress in each of the last two years. This increases Okongwu's importance to Atlanta's future. He's the Hawks player with plenty of breakout potential still intact.

Injuries have limited 2020's No. 6 pick to 98 games over the last two seasons, and he's also been stuck behind Collins and Clint Capela in the rotation. But Okongwu's defensive talent is obvious whenever he sees the floor. Switchable, quick off his feet and an instinctive rim-protector (2.2 blocks per 36 minutes in 2021-22), Okongwu seems a safe bet to eventually unseat Capela at the 5. The upcoming season will be telling, both for Okongwu and the Hawks. Is he a cornerstone who could provide the defensive versatility Atlanta needs to hide Young, or is he a backup big who can't stay healthy?

Thanks mostly to Young, the Hawks' core has already reached a conference finals. The Raptors' youth can technically claim a title, but only Anunoby factored in that 2019 triumph. In addition to the best track record of any group we've covered in the top 10 so far, Atlanta also has a couple of lottery tickets in Johnson and Griffin, Duke products drafted a year apart who could eventually develop into complementary starting wings.

With former core member Kevin Huerter dealt to the Sacramento Kings and Bogdan Bogdanovic likely to start the season on the shelf, Atlanta's Blue Devil combo will have ample opportunities to prove themselves.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Questions to ponder:

• Do we have anything dependable in our core beyond Trae (and 25 year old DeJounte)?
• Has the core lessened in your eyes with this year's departures of Reddish and Huerter?
• What are reasonable expectations for the young Dukies (Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin)?
• Do the Hawks young talents complement each other anymore?
• Is there any player you'd reasonable add to our core from around the league?
• Is there any player available you'd gut this team for?

I'd love to add Killian Hayes and or Saddiq Bey from Detroit. Wendell Carter, Jr. from Orlando. James Wiseman from GS. Mikael Bridges of Phoenix or maybe RJ Barrett from NYK if Utah wants a 3rd team for a potential Donovan Mitchell trade.


And I'd gut the entire core if we could end up with a starting group of Trae, DeJounte, Capela and Kevin Durant. That's championship level right there with the proper coach.

[Jamaaliver]

Ranking The 10 Best Young Cores In The NBA Right Now



1. New Orleans Pelicans (12 points)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (12 points)
3. Memphis Grizzlies (12 points)
4. Boston Celtics (11 points)


5. Atlanta Hawks (11 points)

Trae Young - 23-year-old, (4 points)

Dejounte Murray - 25-year-old, (4 points)

De'Andre Hunter - 24-year-old, (3 points)

By adding former San Antonio Spurs All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, the Atlanta Hawks have made themselves to fifth place on the list. And here's why.

The Hawks are one of four teams now to have at least two young current or former All-Stars, Trae Young and Murray. Young has everything a team needs offensively, including offensive skills, play-making, basketball IQ, etc.

However, what limits his game is his defense. He might improve his defense by having a better read of the game, but he will always be the target of the opponents due to his lack of height and weight.

That is also why Murray and De'Andre Hunter are the perfect fit for him. They are players with great defensive versatility who can switch to guard multiple positions and contribute high efficiency on the offensive end. With the gigantic trade for Murray, the Hawks aim to return to where they were two years ago.

Fadeaway World

[Jamaaliver]

Ranking Every NBA Team's 3 Best Future Prospects

To qualify for this list, players must check the following boxes:

• Are 23 years of age or younger.
• Have been in the NBA for three years or less.
• Are on a standard, guaranteed contract for the 2022-23 season.

This means that even young stars like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Deandre Ayton and Desmond Bane are either too old or have too many years of experience to be considered a "prospect" anymore.

Atlanta Hawks

1. Onyeka Okongwu, C, 21
2. AJ Griffin, F, 18
3. Jalen Johnson, F, 20

It's only a matter of time before Okongwu passes Clint Capela as the best center on this roster. He's got incredible switchability on defense and is already a good rim protector and shot finisher around the basket. He needs to develop somewhat of an outside shot to claim the starting job, however.

Griffin slipped to 16th overall in this year's draft, giving the Hawks incredible value with a player who could end up being the best three-point shooter in his class (44.7 percent at Duke) if his durability isn't an issue.

Johnson is a big, athletic forward who didn't see the floor much as a rookie but could receive more minutes this season with Danilo Gallinari traded in the Dejounte Murray deal. He's an excellent lob threat who needs to improve his three-point shooting.

Bleacher Report

[tbhawksfan1]

I think that we are in great shape. Trae / Murray / Hunter / JC / Capela / OO / JJ / AJ is a great young core. I'm looking for a run for 50 wins this season and a long run for our Hawks

[jayu70]

Hawks Roster by age:

23 and under
Okongwu[21], Johnson[20], Griffin[19]

24 - 28
Young[24], Murray[26], Hunter[25], Collins[25], Capela[28], Martin[24], AHoliday[26]

29+
Bogi[30], Kaminsky[29], JHoliday[33], Harkless[29]

[Jamaaliver]

B/R NBA Future Rankings: Projecting Every Team's Next 3 Years

13. Atlanta Hawks

Even if the Atlanta Hawks were entering 2022-23 with largely the same roster they had last season, they surely would've made this top 20.

There are only six players since 1973-74 who had a higher offensive box plus/minus than Trae Young through their first four seasons. As long as he's around, the team will have a potent attack.

John Collins, a first-round pick taken a year before Young, has somehow become one of the league's more underrated players. Only three players matched or exceeded all of his career averages for points (20.5), rebounds (10.4), blocks (1.3) and threes (1.2) per 75 possessions through their first five seasons.

With both of those players under 25, Atlanta was in great shape for the next three years, but adding a 25-year-old All-Star defensive ace brings them up a level.

Dejounte Murray averaged an eye-popping 21.1 points, 9.2 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals last season. He'll take a little pressure off Young by giving him more catch-and-shoot opportunities and always defending the opposition's top guard.

With those three backed up by Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter, it's easy to get excited about this team.

Bleacher Report