How Good Can The Hawks Be?
The Atlanta Hawks haven’t been one of the better teams in the East for the past couple of seasons, but they have quietly built a roster featuring All-Star Trae Young and a lot of young, raw talent. We know what the Hawks can be down the line, but the question is how good can they really be?
The Hawks have been building one of the best young cores in the league over the past couple of seasons. In the 2017 NBA Draft, they selected PF John Collins from Wake Forest. Collins is one of the best interior scorers in the league and in just his 3rd season he averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field and 40% from 3. He also had 1.6 blocks per game. Collins is one of the most underrated players in the league, Collins was a steal at pick 19.
In 2018 the Hawks had the 3rd pick and selected Luka Doncic, but traded with the Mavs to get Trae Young. While this is an obvious down-grade, Young is still a very good player. Young was 2nd in ROTY voting, and he exploded in his 2nd season. Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists. He shot 44% from the field and 36% from 3. While Young’s defense isn’t great, he is a very good scorer and for somebody his size, it is very impressive what he is doing. (Although I’m sure the Hawks would rather have Luka Doncic at this point).
Also in 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected Kevin Huerter. Huerter was selected 19th overall out of Maryland, and he has been a solid contributor for the Hawks. Huerter averaged 12.2 points while shooting 41% from the field and 38% from 3. Again, Huerter’s defense is very suspect, but he is a solid shooter and if he can get a better shot, he will be a very valuable piece for the Hawks.
In the 2019 NBA Draft, the Hawks had two picks in the top-10, giving them some more young talent. With the #4 pick they selected De’Andre Hunter, giving the team some much needed length. Hunter averaged 12.3 points on 41% shooting from the field and 36% from 3. Hunter isn’t great on defense yet, but hopefully he can use his length to his advantage and become a great defender, along with a nice 3-point jumpshot.
With the 10th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected Cam Reddish from Duke. Reddish was often overshadowed by Zion and RJ Barrett, but he had some real scoring talents. Reddish averaged 10.5 points while shooting 38% from the field and 33% from 3. Reddish is a project and he wasn’t very healthy in his rookie season as he played just 58 games. If he can stay healthy and adjust, he can be very good.
The Hawks also acquired big man Clint Capela, giving Trae Young another pick and roll partner.
The Hawks have a lot of young talent that needs to be developed for the future. Trae Young needs a better shot selection as he takes some bad shots occasionally. Cam Reddish needs to use his gifts and also take better shots. De’Andre Hunter can become a good defender, it’s just a matter of learning and effort. Kevin Huerter can improve his jumper. The Hawks can be very good, but a lot of their young guys have to improve.
And one thing that the Hawks need desperately is defense. Some guys like Hunter and Reddish need some more time before they can become decent on defense, and with the Hawks possessing the 6th pick in the draft, they could select a guy like Tyrese Haliburton to play alongside Trae Young in the backcourt. Here is a potential lineup for the Hawks going into the 2020-21 season:
PG: Trae Young
SG: Tyrese Haliburton (6th Pick, Excellent Defender)
SF: De’Andre Hunter
PF: John Collins
C: Clint Capela
Bench: Reddish and Huerter
The Hawks have a lot of talent on this roster and a lot of it has yet to be unlocked. They have a couple more years before I see them being real contenders in the East. But the Hawks have been building their team right, selecting a lot of great, raw talent. It’s only a matter of time before we see what the Hawks can actually be.
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