I Don’t Know What To Think Of The Atlanta Hawks
Believe it or not, the Hawks were in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. That seems like a distant mirage in what has been a barren 2022 season. Despite housing one of the most talented rosters in the NBA, the Hawks are 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Trae Young blamed the team for being “bored” at the start of the season. That may have been true, but I don’t think that’s a valid excuse anymore. It’s time to face the facts; the Hawks SUCK.
When I predicted the Eastern Conference standings, I had the Hawks at #3. Ahead of the Bulls, Heat, 76ers, Celtics, and Knicks, all teams who are doing better than Atlanta. Even with their struggles, I kept believing that the Hawks could turn things around. If they got healthy, survived this brutal stretch of Covid, maybe, just maybe, they could make a run for the playoffs.
That hope dissipated when they traded Cam Reddish, a move, spoiler alert, I hate. The Hawks’ chances at the playoffs seem slim. This season appears to be down the drain, seemingly nothing going their way. Even though we’re halfway through the regular season, I don’t know what to make of this team.
Breaking Down The Cam Reddish Trade
When Cam Reddish was traded to the Knicks yesterday, it came as a surprise. That wasn’t entirely true, based on new information. The Athletic reported that Reddish asked out months ago, creating awkwardness in the locker room. Reddish didn’t feel like he was in the perfect role in Atlanta, which is true.
With how crowded the Hawks are in their frontcourt, it’s been hard for Reddish, a streaky player his entire career, to find a role. With that being said, this move is far more complicated than a player being unhappy.
While Reddish was having the best season of his career, that wasn’t saying much. Reddish has always flashed his potential, but the results have never followed. For a player with a 7-1 wingspan who can score at all three levels, being traded in your third season says more about you than your team.
Reddish never developed. He had the worst plus/minus on the Hawks this season. His defense is nonexistent. He has more career turnovers than assists. He’s having his most efficient season to date, shooting just 40% from the field. Since 2019, Reddish has played just 66% of the Hawks’ possible games. He wasn’t the reason the Hawks made a deep playoff run last year.
At some point, the Hawks were going to have to pay Reddish, which is something they didn’t want to do. Not only did Reddish not want to be there, I think the Hawks made the right move in not paying Reddish money he didn’t deserve. Nothing Reddish has done in the NBA suggests he deserves contracts the likes of Collins and Huerter received this past offseason.
While Reddish has all the physical tools in the world to be great, things never worked out in Atlanta. Can it be said that Reddish’s injuries played a part in his developmental struggles? Yes. Can it also be said that the Hawks never made Reddish a featured part of their future, instead spending big money in free agency for the likes of Gallinari and Bogdanovic? Also yes.
The Reddish-Atlanta partnership was weird and both sides needed a fresh start. I’m not saying the Hawks made a mistake in trading Reddish. Instead, I’m saying that they fumbled the bag in finding a comparable return package.
The Hawks had talked with the Lakers, Pacers, Cavaliers, and Pistons over the past several months. The end goal was to always get a first-round pick back to Reddish, something near the value of the #9 pick they used to take him. Since that wasn’t going to happen, the Hawks had to settle for this;
Hawks Receive: 2022 Top-18 Protected FRP (via Charlotte) – Kevin Knox
Knicks Receive: Cam Reddish – Soloman Hill (+) – 2025 2nd RP (via BKN)
That’s it? That’s all you could get for Cam Reddish? This trade holds absolutely no risk to the Knicks, who gave up pennies on the dollar. Meanwhile, the Hawks now have to use this first-round pick and their other assets to right the ship.
I think that the Hawks could have gotten a lot more for Reddish. I don’t think that the 2022 first-round pick from Charlotte will convey any real value, assuming that the Hawks even get to keep the pick. Will the Hawks find a solution to their numerous problems by trading this pick they acquired from Reddish?
I get that Reddish didn’t want to be with the Hawks, but this whole process seemed rushed. Reddish wasn’t owed money for another two seasons when he became an RFA in the summer of 2023.
Again, I’m on the fence with this Reddish trade. I don’t think the Hawks needed Reddish and he seemed like the most logical person to get traded. Given his disdain for the team, a limited role, plus the front office’s hesitance to pay him, Reddish was one foot out the door.
I am disappointed in how the Hawks handled the situation. I feel like they could have used Reddish as part of a bigger trade or even got more from just trading Reddish.
Hawks Grade: C+
Rearranging A Crowded Roster
On a team that is 12th in the East, there are bound to be a lot of problems. The Hawks’ defense has seen a steep decline in production from last season. Wings like Huerter, Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter are struggling to produce. But more than anything, the Hawks suffer from a problem that not many people acknowledge.
There is such a thing called having Too Much Talent. Don’t take my Jail Blazers comp as a bad thing. This team does not feature Rasheed Wallace and Isaiah Rider, fortunately. But they do face the problem of having too many guys on one team.
Just look at how much talent they house in the frontcourt;
- Clint Capela
- John Collins
- Onyeka Okungwu
- Jalen Johnson (R)
- Gorgui Dieng (he doesn’t deserve to be here, but still)
With so much talent, so much versatility, it’s hard to balance the minutes. Nate McMillan’s brain is like Peter Gibbons’s brain after that therapy session in Office Space. Nate McMillan, however, does not have the luxury to start dating Jennifer Anniston. Instead, he has to try and figure out this mess.
The Hawks lack great defenders. Clint Capela, John Collins, and De’Andre Hunter are their only plus defenses. Defenses know this and knowingly pick on the rest of the Hawks. Trae Young, Bogdanovic, and Kevin Huerter get picked on constantly, as offenses torch them for their lack of skill on that end.
Instead of investing in so many versatile wings, the Hawks need better options on the perimeter. I figured Delon Wright would be a good backup guard, but he hasn’t been. Why not try and trade him for someone? Some names I would like the Hawks to go after are Josh Hart, Tyus Jones, or Derrick White. Someone better than Delon Wright, who has been awful this season.
I still don’t know why Danillo Gallinari gets minutes. He’s stiff as a board on defense and his 41% shooting doesn’t warrant 22 minutes a night. I would love to see Duke rookie Jalen Johnson get more minutes. He’s a versatile wing who gives this lineup more flexibility.
I think that the Hawks need to find a way to inject as much defense as possible. Getting through this brutal Covid stretch would help, but still.
Finding more youth, energy, and defense might kickstart this team.
Takeaway
The Hawks are a talented team, one of the more talented teams in the league. But they have severe flaws that need correcting. More perimeter defense is desperately needed. I think that their bench unit could use more life.
Now, I do think that the Hawks can do some simple things to improve the functionality of their team. Giving John Collins the ball more is a great place to start. You paid the swiss army knife forward $125 million this offseason, so why not use him more?
Instead of just being a gadget player who catches lobs and spots up for threes, why not give him more isolations? Collins is averaging just 3.1 post-ups per game, a number that could be risen given how solid Collins has been this season.
Collins has never been used as a straight-line driver, so why not involve him on the perimeter where he can expose matchups. He’s faster than most forwards, able to get by players of a similar build. Using Collins more/in more unique ways could add some juice to not only his morale but to this team.
It also couldn’t hurt if Bogdanovic and Huerter, getting paid a combined 137 million dollars, played slightly better than 23.5 points per game on 44% shooting.
Can This Season Be Saved?
I can talk about the Hawks’ need for more perimeter defense. Or for different uses of their stars. I could talk about strategy, energy, and astrology all I want. But the real question here is Can The Hawks’ Season Be Saved?
Even with everything I outlined, it seems stupid of me to say yes to this question. But I’m still going to do so. The Hawks are still a talented roster. There’s so way, with a straight face, you can’t tell me this is a top-10 team in the East;
Trae Young
Bogdan Bogdanovic
De’Andre Hunter
John Collins
Clint Capela
Kevin Huerter
Delon Wright
Onyeka Okungwu
Danilo Gallinari
Lou Williams
The Law of Averages is the principle that supposes most future events are likely to balance any past deviation from a presumed average. The Hawks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year. They are currently out of the playoff picture. There’s a middle ground somewhere in there.
Trae Young is having an incredible season going to waste because this team is pitiful. The Hawks have made it clear that they want to contend still. It might be foolish, but trading Cam Reddish won’t be their only move. With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, what this team does or doesn’t do will make or break this season.
I want to believe in the Hawks. Not only because I think they can be great, but I also want my offseason prediction of them coming third in the East to look less bad. Is that too wishful thinking? Probably.
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