How close are the Hawks to becoming contenders?
By Derek Snyder
The Atlanta Hawks have been a consistent playoff team in the East for recent years, but how close are they to becoming true contenders?
As the final seconds ran off in a 100-99, series clinching victory for the Cavaliers, it became very clear that the Atlanta Hawks were not capable of competing at the same level with Cleveland. For the second straight year, the Hawks were swept by LeBron James and company. Not only have Hawks struggled against the Cavaliers in the postseason, they were also 0-3 in head to head match-ups during the 2015-2016 regular season.
It only feels right to judge the Hawks on a “Contender Scale” with Cleveland alone, as they are the back-to-back Eastern Conference Champions and the reigning NBA Champions. If the Hawks want get to the NBA Finals, they have to go through Cleveland. Not just LeBron James, but Cleveland.
During free agency the Hawks will begin to inquire for talent that will take them to an elite level. Let me be clear about one thing, there are also 29 other teams are going to do everything in their power to do the exact same thing. Therefore, what is it going to take for the Hawks to become contenders, not only in the Eastern Conference, but in the NBA?
From a head-to-head match-up with Cleveland, the Hawks are going to have to find a way to guard LeBron James. According to ESPN Stats, James earned a double-double in two of the four post season games against Atlanta in 2016. You may be wondering about the other two games they played; James was Cleveland’s leading scorer. Clearly there is a trend here, skyrocketing in the Cavaliers favor.
The Hawks have to find someone who will physically go toe-to-toe with the 2016 NBA Finals MVP. That person was not DeMarre Carroll, that person is not Paul Millsap, and that person is, more than likely, not a free agent this off-season. Therefore, the Hawks, as a unit, have to figure out how to limit the damage James does on the scoresheet. He isn’t just the leading scorer, he is rivaling Tristian Thompson in rebounding and Kyrie Irving in Assists. If the Hawks want a shot at the title, they have to slow down James.
The second part of this head-to-head match-up comes down to three point shooting and three point shooting defense. Let’s be honest, Cleveland annihilated Atlanta from beyond the arc. However, there is no doubt that Atlanta is at their best when they consistently knock down the long-ball.
“There is an old saying that goes something like this, “You learn more by losing than you do by winning”. If that saying holds true, the Hawks should have their doctorate in Cavalier basketball by now”
Let me give you an example. In game 4 of this past year’s series with Cleveland, the closest game Atlanta played against the Cavaliers, Atlanta shot 29 percent from three. The Hawks went a poor 9-31, at home, while Cleveland shot 43.2 percent hitting 16 three-pointers. Let me also remind you that the Hawks 3-point-specialist Kyle Korver, didn’t even start the game because he couldn’t get a clean look at the basket verse the tough Cleveland defense.
That was a lot of numbers to throw at you, but there is a pattern. One team played terrific perimeter defense and one team did not. I’ll let you guess who those teams are.
In the post-season, the players your team count on have to be able to knock down a shot with a hand in their face. You are not going to get open looks, therefore it is imperative that your scorers find multiple ways to create separation. The Hawks haven’t been able to find those ways yet against Cleveland, but there is an old saying that goes something like this, “You learn more by losing than you do by winning”. If that saying holds true, the Hawks should have their doctorate in Cavalier basketball by now.
There are however, reason to be optimistic about the future of this squad. Coach Budenholzer is one of the game’s finest head coaches. He knows where this team falls short in comparison to the league’s best and he knows what type of players they need in order to become a contender. Atlanta needs bigger, stronger, and more athletic players coming from the wing. Take a deep breath Hawk fans. This was some something they began to address during the 2016 NBA Draft.
Again, let his system develop and evolve, I strongly believe you will like the result here in the next few years.
Secondly, I strongly believe that the evolution of Dennis Schroder will determine how far this team can go into the postseason. If there was one guy that carved up Cleveland, it was Schroder. He was able to create space and get to the rim for Atlanta.
You never know how much a player will develop and Schroder may never be a premier guard in this league, but he sure could have the potential to get himself into the second-tier discussion. With that being said, Schroder will obviously will not be able to do it by himself. However, if he can continue to grow as a player and leader for this Hawks squad, I do believe Budenholzer will have the pieces in place for Atlanta to make another run.
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So how close is Atlanta from becoming a contender? Well, I believe that they are not ready yet, but have the right foundation to become an elite team here in the next 2-3 years. They have already begun addressing their aging roster and adding players with more size and athleticism. Cleveland is one heck of a team and is also a team that this current Atlanta roster has trouble defeating. However, give this team another couple of years and just watch how athletic, big, and efficient this team will become.