Atlanta Hawks
Every year there is a young team or teams that surprise not just us, but everyone.
These surprise teams aren’t expected to do particularly well, but they outperform expectations by playing polished team basketball. They play together. They WHIP passes around the court. They know exactly where guys are going to be. They like each other! They have each other’s back. They show up to work every day ready to fight with their brothers and to have some fun while doing so. Watching these teams play is a League Pass joy. Last year it was the Nets and the KANGZ. Before that it was The Process built Sixers.
Our prime candidate for this year’s young surprise team is the Atlanta Hawks.
We will be the first to admit that we also laughed when we heard that the Hawks were going to try to be the Warriors of the East. We’re not laughing anymore, folks.
President of basketball operations Travis Schlenk, previously a front office executive for Golden State, is really onto something here:
Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins
All drafted in house and over the last three years, this is the lineup and foundation that the future of the Hawks is currently built on. This 5-man lineup can all play together on the court at the same time featuring a point guard engine who can light it up and facilitate, sizable 3-and-D athletic wings, and a rim running rebounder who can also hit spot-up threes.
The Hawks engine is Trae Young. Ice Trae, bombs away! No really. Young pulls up from 30 feet no problem. He’ll carve your ass UP in the pick-and-roll. He’ll dive to the hoop in a slippery way. He’ll hit the perfect angles in transition — in any situation. Last year in his rookie season, Trae averaged 8 dimes per game (4th best in the league) and posted a 40% assist percentage (3rd best in the NBA).
Defense, on the other hand, is not Young’s strong suit and that is to say the very least. It’s actually pretty atrocious. He’s undersized, but the young core around him has been constructed with players to help combat this weakness. How? Big wings with very long wingspans.
The Hawks traded up in this year’s draft to select Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter (6-7, 225 lbs & 7-2 wingspan) for this very reason. The same can be said for Atlanta’s other first-round lottery selection, Duke’s Cam Reddish (6-9, 208 lbs & 7-1 wingspan). Hunter and Reddish’s 7-foot-plus wingspans will join second year sharpshooting ginger Kevin Huerter (6-7, 190 lbs & 6-8 wingspan) and let us tell you that the Red Velvet can play. Or just ask Simmons and Russillo!
Kevin Huerter shot 38.5 percent from three in his rookie season. De’Andre Hunter was clutch in the NCAA tournament and wasn’t afraid of the biggest stage in the National Championship. And Cam Reddish was regarded as the #1 prospect in his class before his freshman year at Duke and was voted by his peers to have the best NBA career of all rookies. These wings have a lot of basketballin’ potential.
Add in the power dunker and rebounder, John Collins, also capable of spacing the floor with catch-and-shoot threes, and you’re looking at a 5-man lineup that is complimentary AF and with nobody over the age of 22. Yes, they are very, very young. We have found that the process usually arrives ahead of schedule and when it’s not yet expected. And the youngin’s have a speed and mentality that’s fueled by energetic youth. A fire inside that’s still lit by the allure of being in the NBA that can dwindle and fade over time.
Every young surprise team needs seasoned veterans to guide them along. Atlanta has:
Evan Turner -- Portland LOVED him and was extremely sad to see him go.
Vince Carter -- The legend continues. V.C. will turn 43 in his 22nd year in the league.
Alex Len -- 7-foot-1 rim protector with no personal agenda.
Chandler Parsons -- $25M cap filler and reclamation project with nowhere to go but up.
Allen Crabbe -- Did his DUI charges get dropped? He’ll be looking to turn things around!
We can see the team chemistry from a mile away, just as we saw the Hawks start to have the look of a young surprise team in the 2nd half of last season. A big reason why we have chosen these baby Hawks as our surprise team this year is because of the exceeding potential for them to unlock the secret to basketball. There isn’t a player on this team who wants the spotlight to himself. There isn’t a guy on this roster who isn’t a true team player. (Well, maybe Jabari Parker, but only one ain’t bad.)
Head coach Lloyd Pierce is the perfect man for this job. Previously an assistant coach in Philadelphia, Pierce not only saw The Process up close, but he was a part of it.
Let us also be clear, a young surprise team doesn’t always translate to a ton of wins (but it sure can) — it’s really more than that. Watching a young surprise team blossom in real time is a special type of basketballin’ to soak in.
There is going to be a cohesive unit of surprise in ATL this year. Make no mistake about it. These baby Hawks gon’ fly!
League Pass Notes
The types of passes Trae Young makes are Nash-esque. Seriously. We wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.
Vinsanity back!!!
Speaking of power dunkers: John Collins can soar and Jabari Parker is underrated.
The Final Question / The Final Take
There WILL be growing pains, so are we a year too early on this hot Hawks take? We would rather be early than late. And shit, there is nothing but rookie deals and clear cap space ahead. The future is so damn bright.
We are wagering a substantial bag on OVER 32.5 wins and laughing all the way to the bank.
Also, +375 on the Hawks to make the playoffs? YES PLEASE!