How the Hawks Receiving the First Overall Pick Changes Everything This Offseason
The Hawks already had a huge offseason ahead, but it became even bigger after surprisingly winning the lottery this past Sunday afternoon. Let us start with how the season went and ended for the Hawks this past season. It’s no secret it was another underwhelming season for a team that is too talented even to be a lottery team. The team finished 36-46 and dealt with many injuries this season in a manner that will compel the front management to hold meaningful conversations about the present roster. The Hawks finished well below their own expectations. They were eliminated from the Play-In Tournament by the significantly more inconsistent Chicago Bulls despite having excellent depth, a wealth of talent, and seemingly quality players at every position. It's not the most ideal of seasons.
To be fair, Quin Snyder, the head coach, had to continuously adapt to a developing rotation because just three players in the rotation- Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanović, and Clint Capela had played in 70 games this season. The team's leading player, Trae Young, missed a large portion of the season, while breakout player Jalen Johnson missed 26. Undoubtedly, the team's most effective two-way wing, De'Andre Hunter, missed 25 games. Onyeka Okongwu, their center of the future, only played in 55 games.
The Hawks must decide which players, in their opinion, will do the best in the long run in terms of health before making any decisions. With a talented roster, they cannot afford to have another season like this. That won't stop observers or fans from speculating aloud about who will stick around and who will go, though. Everyone is talking about Young, and the most important question is whether or not the master of pick-and-roll will be back in Atlanta the following year. Some factors support and contradict the idea that he would stay, but the answer is yet unknown.
Murray and Young Experiment
Everyone thinks one of Murray or Young will be shipped, but will Atlanta actually pull the trigger, especially now that they have the top pick? The main focus of the argument is either Murray or Young, which highlights the current situation with the latter. Although Young has stated that he wants to stay, there have been more whispers this season that the Hawks are considering trading him, and they are expected to resurface this summer. According to earlier reports, even the chance that they deal with Murray doesn't rule out Young leaving. Young has always insisted on wanting to win. Simply said, the feelings that have always accompanied it in Atlanta are taking center stage now. From the eye test and the numbers on the court, it seems Murray is a much better or complete player or fits with the team's surrounding pieces more. At the very least, both guards are bound by contracts for the next three seasons.
First Overall Pick Outlook
Landing the top pick in a draft that is supposedly not that great compared to recent ones makes it less exciting. The Hawks will have options to make this selection with the top pick, either trade the pick or move back. They could decide to blow things up completely, move both Young and Murray and build around whoever they take at number one. Another possibility could be to move one of the two backcourt players, hoping they can win now with whoever the top pick is. Multiple contenders or up-and-coming teams would come screaming for either guard on the open market, so the Hawks will definitely have their options. Dealing with Murray is the best course of action. Aging more than Young, he seems to have a larger trade market, and teams may be willing to overlook his declining defensive performance in Atlanta. The Hawks were more successful when Young played as the starting guard all by himself. It may be best to surround him with more supporting cast members.
