Atlanta Hawks offseason ranked 14th, gets tip of the cap
The Atlanta Hawks offseason has been very well received with the franchise receiving pristine reviews by and large. Both the NBA Draft and free agency broke just right. It’s a nice pick-me-up after the way their season ended in Eastern Conference Finals. Still, it was a heck of a run and quite the turnaround after they finished 14th in the East a year ago.
As for this offseason, fans might be surprised at the latest ranking from The Athletic’s David Aldridge. Beyond the immediate surprise, there is a positive outlook on what is a less active offseason than last year.
Aldridge also ended with an acknowledgment of what Hawk’s fans have known for some time.
Atlanta Hawks offseason, rebuild get good review despite not cracking the top 10
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The section on the Hawks comes as Aldridge reveals numbers 20 through 14 of his countdown. That might immediately be off-putting. The Hawks offseason has gone that well.
CBS Sports gave them an ‘A’ while Sport’s Illustrated gave them an ‘A-’. And Bleacher Report just ranked the Hawks as having the “best young core”.
It’s something we said after they locked up Trae Young and John Collins.
But reading is fundamental and Aldridge talks about just how everything came up Atlanta this offseason.
"“The Hawks did well along the margins, bringing in Wright — a favorite in these pages — to be a third guard and provide the defense and occasional offensive pop off the bench. Dieng is a pro and can certainly sop up regular-season minutes. There were questions about Johnson before the draft, but his talent is well worth a late first-round swing, and Cooper had first-round grades in almost every mock; he was one of the best point guards in college last season.”"
Aldridge goes on to talk about the Collins situation going from stalemate to done deal and just how the playoff run opened eyes on both sides, ultimately leading to a new contract.
He also mentions a part that might have already been forgotten since it happened almost immediately after the season. That is the signing of Nate McMillan to be the full-time head coach.
"“…once his group thrived under the bright lights and pressure of playoff series in New York and Philly, there was no doubt of his return.”"
The same goes for Young’s extension, says Aldridge.
Atlanta’s entry ends with a different nugget regarding Young, though, that might stand out more than anything else said about the team.
"“We must now acknowledge that the Hawks going for Young rather than Luka Dončić in the 2018 draft was, for whatever the reason, not as daft in retrospect as it first appeared. Ice Trae was every bit the superstar in the playoffs as his Dallas counterpart.”"
That is something that Hawks fans should like to hear from someone outside of the beat. Folks had even grown to admit Young was a great player but, without a playoff berth on his resume, it was impossible to say he was on the level with his draft-night trade mate.
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Aldridge’s opinion is just one, and many others will still disagree. But it is just another sign of how different things are for these Hawks.