The Atlanta Hawks have made some tremendous moves this offseason. The biggest move that they made was to trade Danilo Gallinari and draft capital to the San Antonio Spurs, receiving All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale in return.
They would trade Landale to the Phoenix Suns after having him on the roster for only two days. However, Landale was only ever a filler in this trade, the real prize was Murray who is going to partner Trae Young in the backcourt for at least the next two seasons.
This trade is so impactful for the franchise, and it is not just the skillset that Murray brings. His skill set is quite extensive and it is elite on both ends of the floor. While his 3-point shooting will not replace Huerter’s in the starting lineup, his shot creation for himself and others certainly will. It will also help Young play off the ball more which will be an offensive improvement for the team.
So why is the new Atlanta Hawks backcourt going to be the most hated in the NBA?
Well, Young is already disliked. His all-out offensive game frustrates people. Then you add to that the fact that he is never phased by the defender, often ignoring them when they are trying to get into his space to trash talk him. His nutmeg on Trevor Ariza led to the veteran fouling him hard is a prime example of this.
However, why Young is hated was on full display in New York City when, in his first playoff series, Young toyed with the Knicks. He was totally unfazed by the hatred directed his way and this is infuriating. You want the object of your hate to react when you are upset at him. Apart from a bow at the final curtain call, Young did not even acknowledge their fans.
Then you get to Murray. The former Spurs guard has been calling out his old franchise, disrespecting defenders in the Pro-Am’s, and calling out the antics of Paulo Banchero, making him look silly as well. He seems to be developing an edge that is going to help the Hawks win.
The other reason they are going to be hated is that they are going to be really good. This combination of good and not caring what others think is going not going to endear them to the opposition fans. It is, however, going to make them loved by the Hawks faithful, especially if the franchise has a successful season.