Atlanta Hawks Rebuild and Journey

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2137 days ago

Five seasons ago brought a dream season for the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks won 60 games and earned the one seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. For his efforts, the NBA awarded Coach Mike Budenholzer with the Coach of the Year award. The Hawks advanced to their first Eastern Conference finals since 1970. Atlanta defeated the Nets and Wizards en route to their showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron and the Cavs swept the Hawks right out of the playoffs. Atlanta proceeded to make the next two playoffs but could not get back to the conference finals. In 2018, after a 24-58 campaign, the Hawks started their rebuilding process. The Atlanta Hawks rebuilding process began with the hiring of Lloyd Pierce.

Hawks Journey

Atlanta Hawks Rebuilding Process (part 1)

Lloyd Pierce, from San Jose, California, was named head coach for the 2018-2019 season. Coach Pierce came to Atlanta after serving as an assistant coach for the Cavaliers, Warriors, Grizzlies, and 76ers. In Lloyd’s first year, the Hawks did not fare much better. Led by rookie Trae Young, the Hawks only managed 29 wins. Atlanta finished third in the Southeast Division and had the fifth-worst record in the entire NBA. Year three of the Atlanta Hawks rebuilding process began in the summer with the NBA Draft. Atlanta drafted guard De’Andre Hunter out of Virginia and combo guard Cam Reddish from Duke. Also, the Hawks acquired Evan Turner and Jabari Parker over the summer. Atlanta is still young at the core but has a few veterans sprinkled in. The Hawks hope their young starters thrive under the tutelage of Coach Pierce and the veteran players.

Atlanta Hawks rebuild year 1 — Photo courtesy of https://theathletic.com/1025123/2019/06/13/lloyd-pierce-qa-part-2-hawks-draft-process-free-agency-how-coaching-team-usa-can-benefit-atlanta/

Atlanta Hawks Rebuilding Process (part 2)

2019 started well for the Hawks. Atlanta opened the season with a road win against the Detroit Pistons. The Hawks won the game 117-100. Trae Young led the way with 38 points, while John Collins and Jabari Parker scored 18 points. Atlanta followed up their opening night win with a victory, at home, against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks prevailed by a score of 103-99. Trae Young, once again, led the way with 39 points. Kevin Huerter and Jabari Parker added secondary scoring with 10.

Atlanta suffered its first defeat on October 28. The Hawks scratched and clawed but came up short against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers won by a final score of 105-103. For the third straight game, Trae Young paved the way scoring 25 points. After riding high through the first two games, Philadelphia brought the Hawks back down to earth for a night. Losing a heartbreaker will be a testament to the maturity of this Hawks team. How will the team respond when they go through adversity throughout the year?

Atlanta Hawks hopeful return to prominance — Photo courtesy of https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2019/6/23/18713327/atlanta-hawks-roster-free-agency-nba-positions-trae-young-john-collins-deandre-hunter-cam-reddish

Previewing Rest of Season

The season has a long way to go, and Atlanta could make some noise before the playoffs start. Trae Young is the leader of this team, and his scoring will carry this team through the first month or so of the season. Atlanta needs to find secondary scoring when Young is out of the game. With Trae on the bench, the Hawks need to find ways to stay in games or keep leads. Atlanta will get better as the season goes due to the talent they have.

In addition to Trae Young, every player on this team can contribute. If Atlanta can find those constant contributors, this team will be a threat during the 2019 season. The Hawks can put themselves in playoff positioning with wins over division opponents. If Atlanta can finish 2019 with a winning record against the division, the sky is the limit. Look for Atlanta to improve week to week and take the NBA by storm.

Follow me on twitter @JayDoug2015. Check out more NBA stories at overtimeheroics.net