Atlanta Hawks
The 2020-21 Atlanta Hawks season can be defined by surprisingly making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.
What did we learn?
We were a year too early on our hot Hawks take that the Atlanta Hawks were going to be the young surprise team that nobody saw coming.
Our baby Hawks actually played quite well together when they were healthy and on the court in 2019-20 (and not suspended, *cough* John Collins *cough*), but it was the rest of the roster that also held them back.
Travis Schlenk agreed and made sure to upgrade:
2019-20: Alex Len, Evan Turner, Vince Carter, Chandler Parsons, Allen Crabbe, Jabari Parker
2020-21: Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, Tony Snell, Rondo (Lou Will), Kris Dunn
Quite the upgrade that did cost a pretty penny (some $160 million).
Yet it was still a very bumpy ride for the wounded Hawks at the beginning of this season, dealing with numerous injuries and starting out 14-20 and in 11th place, ultimately leading to the dismissal of head coach Lloyd Pierce. It was a decision that we didn’t agree with at the time because of how injured the Hawks were, but we understood that it’s definitely an easier decision to make when you have a coach like Nate McMillan waiting in the wings.
With McMillan calling the shots, and finally with a somewhat healthy roster, the Hawks soared, commencing their winning ways, a 27-11 record to finish the season at 5th place in the East. McMillan turned this ship around by emphasizing structure, organization and balance.
Trae Young was still the engine, the Hawks grand maestro conducting the offense with precision and wizardry. Trae was even more inclined to make the right play. He also honed in a very dangerous weapon that he loved to constantly utilize: the floater. The familiar pick-and-roll game with John Collins was there and even more so with new big man Clint Capela — the Hawks bread ‘n butter that left defenses wondering: is he going to shoot a floater or lob an oop?
Ice Trae, bombs away! No really, that was still very much in play, even if he pulled up from deep less often. Trae Young on the court is automatic ubiquitous spacing.
Before they got injured and missed a shit ton of games, the youngin’s on the wing really caught our eye. You could tell that De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish were both shooting the ball with so much confidence this season. Hunter was breaking out on the defensive end as a lock-you-up dude, and he improved tremendously on offense as well, shooting 58 percent on 2’s as opposed to just 45 percent a season ago. But we mentioned the injuries and over the last four months of the season, Hunter played five games total. And Reddish? He missed the entire last three months of the regular season with a non-surgical procedure on his Achilles in early March.
Clint Capela was the Hawks rock all season long, a double-double machine and the league leader in rebounds. Capela deserves a lot of credit, offering rim protection, screening and size that the Hawks did not previously have. The Red Velvet was also very dependable. Kevin Huerter played every game but three, a very nice 69 games. And a big shoutout to Solomon Hill who played in a team-high 71! The Rondo Experiment was a failure, but it turned into Lou Williams who could still get some Sweet Lou buckets off the bench as always.
It was the newcomer free agents finally getting healthy and hot at the right time that really allowed these Hawks to take flight. Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari missed 28 and 21 games, mostly in January and February. By April and May, however, Bogey and Gallo were back in the lineup and firing on all cylinders. From April 1st until the end of the regular season, Bogdanovic scored 20 or more points in 16 out of 22 games played. And Gallo in the 4th quarter was the closer the Hawks could count on, the Rooster in the clutch.
John Collins numbers took a dip this season, but it makes sense given the additional talent the Hawks had to work with. The rumblings of some early discontent between Collins and Young sure faded away, and it really appeared from the outside that Collins did all of the right things to attribute to winning ball, making sacrifices and staying ready to strike when needed.
It really coalesced into a true team effort from this group in the playoffs. The Hawks could attack from so many different directions. The next man up approach they had to deal with all season gave McMillan both lineup flexibility and trust in his guys. The bench and the depth that Travis Slenck put together was crucial, especially down the stretch. We said if this team ever got to full strength, they could be a seriously vicious bunch. They never did quite get all the way there, losing Hunter to a meniscus injury just before the start of the Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Philly. And Cam Reddish didn’t return until Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. (Reddish sure went the fuck off in Game 6!)
And then, of course, Trae Young rolled his ankle in a freak accident in the East Finals, but it was mitigated after the hyperextension of Giannis’s knee. Even so, you can’t help but wonder how it might have gone down if Trae doesn’t step on that ref, or if Hunter was available.
Despite everything, the Hawks made the playoffs for the first time since 2017, stifled the Knicks, shocked the Sixers and were two games away from the freaking Finals.
A year too early indeed.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
Over 35.5 wins. The Hawks are ready to soar into the East playoffs.
Hawks 2020-21 Record: (41-31)
YES, our preseason Over/Under prediction hit! And it’s not like we abandoned them at all, we still called the Over and their trip to the postseason.
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What’s Next?
The first order of business has already been taken care of as the Hawks and Nate McMillan have agreed to a 4-year deal to lift the interim tag and make him the permanent head coach going forward.
The next priority is restricted free agent John Collins who reportedly turned down a $90 million extension offer last offseason, so we know he’s looking for a big payday. The Hawks can still match an offer sheet if they so choose. Collins is a really good player who we like, but it almost feels like maybe he has outgrown the Hawks at this point and could further spread his wings elsewhere (Charlotte!).
The five-man lineup of Young, Reddish, Huerter, Hunter, and Okongwu (all 23 and under) is a perfect positional fit offensively and defensively and looks to be the Hawks lineup of the future. Although Okongwu apparently tore his labrum during the playoffs and underwent surgery that will keep him out the next six months…
The Hawks have the #20 pick in the 1st Round of the draft, and it’s believed by most that they should look to draft a backup point guard. But if they let John Collins walk and with Okongwu out for six months, they will need another big. So this draft selection could give us an idea as to their plans.
Ice Trae is eligible for a $168 million rookie max extension.
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