The Hawks are going to have a brand new look this 12 months. They traded Dejounte Murray and bought a package deal that included Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. They gained the draft lottery and ended up choosing French ahead Zaccharie Risacher with the primary choose. In addition they have some younger expertise returning in Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, two guys who’re going to play an enormous position in whether or not or not the Hawks succeed this 12 months. Will this new model of the Hawks shock folks or will they battle to qualify for the NBA play-in match?
It could depend upon how effectively Trae Younger does this 12 months. Whereas younger gamers will play an enormous position for this staff, the Hawks doubtless will not go any additional than Trae can take them. Bleacher Report Zach Buckley considers Younger the Hawks’ participant dealing with essentially the most strain this season:
“Trae Younger is a three-time All-Star and has already led an Jap Convention Finals. On the floor, the hyper-productive level guard does not have a lot to show.
And but his existence with Atlanta, the one NBA franchise he has ever identified, appears unsure. The Hawks already parted methods together with his guard teammate, Dejounte Murray, this offseason and will doubtlessly flip to a youth-focused rebuild round Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin and this 12 months’s first-round choose, Zaccharie Risacher.
Atlanta may need already made the transfer if the San Antonio Spurs did not have management of the Hawks’ subsequent three first-round picks. That offers Younger a bit extra time to persuade administration that he ought to stay their centerpiece. He’ll even be eligible for an extension after this season, so he must show he is worthy of one other big-money dedication.
I believe it is a massive season for Younger, however I believe he is ready to succeed and lead the staff. So long as Younger is the first creator on offense, the Hawks ought to have a top-tier offense within the NBA, but it surely’s the opposite finish of the ground that has given them issues. The arrival of Dyson Daniels by way of the Dejounte Murray commerce, the number of Risacher, and the hope that Johnson, Okongwu, Clint Capela, and De’Andre Hunter can proceed to play above-average protection. If the Hawks can enhance in that space, then I believe they might be a shock staff in 2024-25.
