2018-19 Atlanta Hawks: An Attempt to Recapture the Fan Base

The Atlanta Hawks have had an active and fascinating offseason that has led to multiple transactions and changes both on and off the court.

With the Hawks leaning ponderously on the “treadmill of mediocrity” for the past few years – even when they did win 60 games in the 2014-15 season – the team needed desperately needed a reset.

The Hawks’ rebuild could’ve been jump-started by trading away Al Horford and Paul Millsap at consecutive trade deadlines, but the shortsightedness of Coach/GM Mike Budenholzer won out in order to win more in the short-term.

Now with a fully unified front office and coaching staff looking towards a complete, top-to-bottom rebuild, the Hawks can fully commit to making the changes necessary to draw back in the large crowds that came to see the team during the early portion and heyday of the 10-straight-playoff-apperances Atlanta Hawks.

Throughout this offseason, the Hawks have made multiple moves to try and improve attendance (which was dead last in the league in 2017-18), and not just via player transactions.

We’ve outlined 3 Ways in which the 2018-19 season is an attempt by the Atlanta Hawks franchise to recapture its fan base, as “the NBA is better when the Hawks are good.” (Pardon the minor re-write of a trite basketball axiom regarding the Knicks and Lakers).

New Big Names in Hawks Uniforms

The most important part of the franchise’s strategy of bringing in old and new fans alike is the recent acquisition of multiple big names through three different avenues.

In the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hawks selected perhaps the most well-known college freshman of all time. Trae Young out of Oklahoma completely dominated the NCAA – leading the league in both points and assists, which makes him the only player in NCAA history to achieve that feat.

Young also turned heads with his insane three-point range and amazing passing vision, something that basketball highlight creators will certainly look forward to seeing at the NBA level.

As perhaps the single biggest name in the 2018 Draft, a lot of new fans should be immediately invested in the 2018-19 Hawks simply because they boast one of the highest-upside offensive point guards in years in Young.

The Hawks also acquired a big name via trade. Ahead of the immense Dennis Schroder trade, the Hawks landed Jeremy Lin from the Brooklyn Nets in addition to a couple future second-round picks.

Lin’s first taste of the NBA skyrocketed him to global fame, but his NBA stardom has chilled considerably in recent years. Still an effective player, Lin’s name still commands vast amounts of attention and acclaim around the world, and his newfound role on the Hawks should, again, bring in a lot of new eyes to a team that’s starving for fans worldwide.

Most recently in free agency, the Hawks picked up one of the biggest names in team history – the one and only Vince Carter.

Not many big-name players over the years have chosen Atlanta as a destination, and if they do, it often doesn’t work out well (Dwight Howard, anyone?).

The signing of Carter to a veteran’s minimum one-year deal, however, looks to be an excellent choice both on and off the court.

Vinsanity (much like Linsanity) occurred many years ago, but the name itself of Vince Carter still brings to mind many of the greatest dunk highlights in NBA history, as well as a terrific personality on and off the court for fans to enjoy.

Not only that, but Carter can still provide plenty of in-game entertainment, and his role on the Hawks should make him a vocal locker room leader for an exceptionally young team in the 2018-19 season.

With three big-name players now on the Hawks (of different generations), the Hawks should pull in many more fans via those acquisitions alone.

Improving the Fan Experience

After the scintillating series of moves that directly affect the Hawks on the court, the team followed the news of the Vince Carter signing with an announcement that the team would be cutting the costs of some of its most popular concessions.

The full discounted menu was revealed in a release from the Hawks:

As you can see, this is awesome and a rather unprecedented move for an NBA stadium, whose prices are normally regarded as shockingly high for snacks and drinks for anyone who attends a game. The Atlanta Hawks franchise realized this and decided: “Wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to purchase chips, a bottled water, fries and a slice of pizza for $10?”

With the new menu pricing for the 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks season, fans will be able to answer that question with an emphatic “Yes!”

On top of those new prices, the Hawks home arena, Philips Arena, has also undergone a $192-million renovation that will be completed before the start of next season. Dubbed “the second-largest arena renovation in NBA history” throughout last season, those new concession prices will be provided by a 71 percent increase in point-of-sale opportunities at the rejuvenated Philips – meaning gamegoers will pay less and more quickly than many other NBA arenas.

This should further bolster the Hawks’ attempts to improve its user experience. By providing cheaper concessions that are easier and faster to purchase, fans will be able to return quickly to their seat in order to watch this new, young team laden with big names.

Overall, going to see a Hawks game in Atlanta should be a far more enjoyable and entertaining experience than it has been in years past. With cheap concessions, a young and talented team and big names aplenty, the Hawks franchise should be able to capture the attention of fans of all ages – just in time for the team’s new College Park-based G-League team in 2019-20.