Atlanta Hawks: Stuck in No-Where Land?

Atlanta Hawks: Stuck in No-Where Land?

The Atlanta Hawks are stuck in no-where land. This happened after their Eastern Conference run. Trae Young took New York hostage like a Spiderman villain. The young point guard proved to everyone that he is a star ready to burst. He is ready to take the mantle of the best point guard in the world. In 2023, it seems like Trae Young has continued to improve. Yet, the Atlanta Hawks have not made the necessary progress to compete with other teams.

Trae Young has been the Hawks' anchor since the 2018 draft. That's when we saw the legendary exchange between him and Luka Doncic. Since joining the Hawks, he has identified with Atlanta culture. He adopted the name “Ice Trey”. The young stud’s game has more ice than all Gucci Mane jewelry. Trae is one of the best passers in the league and can hit shots from anywhere on the court. Trae is over 6’1” tall and weighs more than 164 pounds. It's even more remarkable that he averages 28 points per game. He shoots 42 percent and 37 percent on three-point shots. He also averages 11 assists per game. This is something the NBA has never seen. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4277905/trae-young

People have compared Trae Young to NBA giants like Steve Nash, James Harden, and Steph Curry. He earned two All-Star selections and an All-NBA Third team. He has earned it, he makes defenders break a sweat when guarding him as he is unpredictable on the court. The defender never knows if Trae will drive in for a beautiful floater. Its arc is so beautiful that the opposing players don’t know to block. His ability to shoot all the way from the logo forced the rival players to look at him like a hawk. They do not know where the fuck he will hit it from. The defenders can’t even take their eyes off his teammates as Trae dishes out dimes like it is charity.

The aura around the Young All-Star is no other. Trae Young not only demands but forces defenders and fans alike to pay attention to him. He is ready to tear your team apart, like a hungry hawk seizing a running rabbit. Despite his big bald spot and short legs, he has been one of the scariest players to play against. His muscle and wingspan make him a threat.  

Trae Young is a generational offensive player. He can score from downtown or make an incredible lob pass to Clint Capela. This tears down the whole stadium and breaks the internet with how furious it was. But, the problem ‘Ice’ Trae runs into is his defense. The defense could exploit the All-Star player's size, handicapping him on defense. The front office has tried to pair the young Atlanta star with defenders who can help take the load off him on that end.

In the summer of 2022, the Atlanta Hawks traded for Dejounte Murray. The move raised a lot of eyebrows because the Hawks gave the Spurs a lot of assets for the young all-star. The Hawks gave up four first round picks. That makes me think the front office is on crack. This move made no sense. Why would the Hawks trade for a player that plays the same position as their franchise player?

Dejounte Murry has been inconsistent since arriving to the Hawks. Now that he is playing the shooting guard position, he appears out of position. His shooting has been inconsistent this season and it effects the spacing on the floor. The former All-Star is averaging 20 points per game and 5 assists. He's shooting 54 percent from the field and 37 percent from three. This performance doesn't live up to what they traded him for. The Atlanta Hawks have given up assets to bring in the former All-Star. Yet, he has not lived up to the expectations placed on him. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907497/dejounte-murray

Jalen Johnson has been one of the best players on the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately, he has been out for the past six weeks with a left wrist injury. The 22-year-old has been the perfect player to pair next to the superstar. He is great off the ball, can finish around the rim, and shoot. He has shown to be a capable passer and good creating his shot. Jalen is currently injured because of a left distal radius fracture. It has sidelined him. He has made big improvements since joining the league in year three. He could make the All-Star team in the future.

         The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of young players who have not made the jump to becoming big factors for the team. The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of young players who have not made the jump to becoming big factors for the team. DeAndre Hunter has been in the league for five years. But, he has not improved on offense. His defense has declined throughout the year. Onyeka Okongwu has not become a starter for the Hawks. AJ Griffin played fewer minutes this season than last.. He had a good rookie year. Yet, it seems like the Hawks do not have confidence in the young player. This has pissed off a lot of Hawks fans. AJ needs to improve his defense to take his game to another level. Otherwise, he will continue to sit on the bench behind veteran players.

Bodgan Bogdanvich has been on a tear off the bench this season. He is averaging an easy 17 points per game on 46 percent shooting and 41 percent from behind the arc. He has always been a badass off the bench. Every team would die to have him on their squad. Clint Capela is on the decline of his career. He isn’t as athletic as his Houston Rockets years. But, he is still a solid big man for a team to have. Saddiq Bey is a great three-point shooter. Yet, he’s a liability on defense, which hurts the Hawks on that end. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3037789

Though the Hawks are underachieving this season. They are one hell of an offense team. The Hawks are 2nd in PPG. They are 16th in field goal percentage and 9th in three-point shooting. They are also 3rd in offensive rebounds and 4th in free throw shooting. This is an amazing sign for Hawks fans. The Atlanta Hawks have no defensive identity because they do not have a strong anchor on that end. They have a defensive ranking of 119.3 which isn’t good as they are giving up points to the opposing team. The Hawks might have to trade for another star to pair him next to multi-time All-Star Trae Young. This would fix the defensive woes. It would also give the franchise the second option they've been yearning for. https://www.si.com/nba/hawks/news/bogdan-bogdanovic-should-be-getting-more-consideration-as-the-6th-man-of-the-year

Possible Hawks Trades

This mid-season we could see a lot of players find a new team, one such name that has come up is Pascal Siakam. The 29- year old is a proven All-Star and an All-NBA player. Adding Siakam makes the Hawks better. This is especially true if they get a former NBA Champion. The former All-Star makes the Hawks a better defensive team and it would keep Trae Young a happy campier. Pascal Siakam is averaging 21 points per game on 50% field goal percentage. He also gets 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game. But, his 3-point shooting has dropped to 26%. Adding Pascal could make the Hawks a top 5 seed in the NBA. Yet, would it help the team make a championship run? One thing is for sure is that it ensures to Trae that the Hawks want to compete with him as their franchise player. https://www.nba.com/player/1627783/pascal-siakam

Another trade which could be possible is Kyle Kuzma. He has had a productive season, despite his goofy outfits. He plays for the joke of a team, the Washington Wizards. He is averaging 23 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, and 4 assists on 47 percent shooting. Kyle Kuzma is a proven winning player as he won with the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2020. Pairing him up with Trae Young and Jalen Johnson would be a perfect match as he'll be able to play off of both. Kyle Kuzma might not be able to solve all the Hawks' problems. But, he can be a good second to third option on the team. Having two wings who can get buckets is what any team would die to have. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3134907/kyle-kuzma

Jerami Grant is a name that could be under the radar for teams like the Hawks. The Portland Trailblazers played his heart out in the 2020 playoffs. He helped the Nuggets reach the Western Conference finals. which earned him a big contract with the Detroit Pistons for a three-year $60 million dollar deal. He has continues to excel in his game and went on to get paid a bag by the Portland Trailblazers this offseason. Now, with the Trailblazers going to another direction they could look to move on from him for some assets. The 29 year old has been averaging 22 points per game on 45 percent shooting. This is something the Hawks should take notice of. Jerami Grant is a good defender. This is a great thing to surround the franchise player. He is a guy who can create his shot and play off ball. The Hawks needs another 20 plus guy to compete with the best teams in the NBA. There are many talented players for the wings position. You need guys who can defend and score in the wing spot. https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2991070/jerami-grant

Conclusion

The Hawks are an incredible offensive team as Trae Young is playing out out of his mind night in and night out. The Hawks are stuck in no-where land. The young players they invested in have not made the needed jump. In the future, there is a possibility that the All-Star might demand an out. This could put the Atlanta Hawks into further mediocrity. The Hawks should feel pressure this mid-season. They need to make a trade to go deep in the NBA playoffs. Otherwise, they will keep fighting for a play-in spot.

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