Atlanta Hawks: Growth of Trae Young Means New Offseason Approach
By Chris Guest
A peek ahead to what the viewpoint of the Atlanta Hawks might be now that Trae Young is a clear building block for the franchise.
The Atlanta Hawks have a strong young core led by the triumvirate of Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter. Each of these youngsters are 21 and younger and those doesn’t include fellow rookies Omari Spellman, Jaylen Adams, BJ Johnson as well as younger veterans like DeAndre’ Bembry and Taurean Prince.
With that in mind, the Atlanta Hawks and General Manager Travis Schlenk must ponder a new approach in the offseason – one that might focus on accruing players that are readier to win now than what the team’s expected timeline was going into this season.
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Through more than 60 games of the season, it’s clear that all 3 of Young, Collins and Huerter are talented players that are ready to impact winning as soon as next season.
Trae Young, one of the best passers in the NBA and the best rookie over the past 2 months, seems to make everyone around him better on offense – even if his teammates must be able to cover up some of his deficiencies on defense.
The Hawks should definitely aim to at least get their name out there in terms of landing a big free agent, and the team should also look at drafting the best player available – but limit it to positions in which they don’t have franchise cornerstones. Specifically, the Hawks have no need for a point guard in this year’s draft and would do better to focus on a talented defensive anchor such as Brandon Clarke out of Gonzaga or (basketball gods be praised) Zion Williamson out of Duke.
People around the league are beginning to take note of Trae’s recent run of terrific games, even if he was brutally snubbed for Player of the Week by a substandard Ben Simmons week. Huerter, too, has been noticed by various players – including, notably, Dwyane Wade:
If you didn’t catch it last night. Wade picked out Kevin Huerter to swap jerseys with. Huerter was surprised, but Wade had this to say:
— SportsTalkATL.com (@SportsTalkATL) March 5, 2019
“... I’ve been watching this kid grow from the preseason on to now, and I like his game. I think his game can go to another level as well...”
Still though, the future of this Atlanta Hawks team is blindingly bright, which means the front office must adjust accordingly.
Next. Could Hawks Land Big Free Agent This Offseason?. dark
After a strong draft and offseason, it seems reasonable to expect good things from Schlenk when it comes to this offseason’s machinations. Either way, it will be a lot of fun to follow.