Soaring Down South
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What to Expect from Hawks Coach Lloyd Pierce in 2018-19

By Zackery Rogers

BROOKHAVEN, GA - MAY 14: Lloyd Pierce speaks to the media after being hired as Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks on May 14, 2018 at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in Brookhaven, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKHAVEN, GA - MAY 14: Lloyd Pierce speaks to the media after being hired as Head Coach of the Atlanta Hawks on May 14, 2018 at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex in Brookhaven, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With almost three months to go until the 2018-19 season, the Atlanta Hawks will start their new era under head coach Lloyd Pierce.

This summer the Hawks drafted Luka Doncic with the third overall pick and traded his rights in exchange for Trae Young. Atlanta would close out the draft by selecting Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman.

As you may already know, the Hawks are in the second year of their rebuild. What better way to help a rebuild then add a young head coach?  Across the league teams are trying to catch up with the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors.

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Golden State has mastered the model of small-ball lineups, drafting young players and developing them for multiple seasons. Currently, Atlanta is restructuring their roster similarly to Golden State. If you think about it, the Hawks lured the Warriors former assistant GM Travis Schlenk to take over in Atlanta.

In addition to Schlenk, the team added a young head coach in Pierce. Between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors, both teams won their titles with solid management and good coaching.

Ultimately, Pierce walked into a good situation for the most part. Last season under Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks finished with a 24-58 record. However, Budenholzer left Pierce with some young talent in players such as John Collins, Dewayne Dedmon, Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore.

Although Bazemore could share the same fate as Dennis Schröder who was recently traded, the Hawks still have a solid core that they can build around. As the regular season approaches, what are some expectations for Pierce in his first year?

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