The Atlanta Hawks have shown signs of things they can build on going forward, but nothing consistently. How much they can change that trend for the better before the end of the season is unclear, especially given the lack of time together and overall youth on the roster.
However, solving that would help the Hawks in a major way as they careen toward a fourth straight Play-In Tournament appearance.
Seeding could be everything for these Hawks.
“Get to eighth: Atlanta’s presence in the Play-In Tournament — for a fourth straight season! — is virtually assured by the mere fact that the Hawks play in the East,” The Athletic’s John Hollinger, a former executive with the Memphis Grizzlies, wrote on March 7.
“There’s a big difference between landing on the 7/8 side of the draw — and thus needing to win just once to make the playoffs — and finishing on the 9/10 side and needing to win two straight to snag the eighth seed. Atlanta is a half game up on Orlando and a game behind Miami through Thursday. Reeling in at least one of them would make their April pathway to the playoffs a bit less stressful.”
The Hawks enter play on March 8 in that exact spot, so the true task at hand is maintaining and improving on that standing if they can.
They have proven capable of beating even the best teams, which underscores Hollinger’s point.
Trae Young sets goal for Hawks
Hawks star Trae Young has put the front office on notice before, and while his recent comments about the Hawks’ goals for the rest of the season were not threatening, they were a clear declaration of what Young has been saying for years now.
“It’s nowhere below the playoffs. That’s got to be our focus,” Young said on the “From The Point” podcast in February. “When we made these moves, and we got guys, obviously, from the Cavs – who were the No. 1 team at the time. And then you bring in T-Mann who’s – I don’t even think he’s ever not been in the playoffs. You got winners around you, so it’s like you got to win. You got to be in the playoffs, so that’s our main focus.”
Young has lamented his lack of playoff success with the Hawks before.
“Whenever you’re in this position, you never feel like it’s enough,” Young said on his podcast in June 2023. “You always feel like you want more – like there’s more out there. I mean obviously, I haven’t won everything. I haven’t won really anything, to be honest with you.
“I’ve gone into the Conference Finals which is cool. But, in my eyes, if you don’t win the championship, that ain’t enough.”
That is an increasingly notable statement as he heads toward extension eligibility this offseason.
“That guy is a fierce competitor. He wants to win. I’m saying, he wants to win,” insider Chris Haynes said on NBA TV’s trade deadline special in February. “So the direction of the Hawks is very – I would say very unique considering they know where he stands and what he wants to accomplish.”
Young has made it clear that he wants to remain with the Hawks. But in the same breath, he also noted he is no longer on a rebuilding timeline.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are looking to remain under the luxury tax this offseason.
“Everybody knows, obviously, I want to be in Atlanta. When I was drafted, that’s where I wanted to spend my whole career. But at the same time, I want to win. So if we’re not on the same page wanting to win now…,” Young said on his podcast in April 2024.
“There’s times teams want to take their time, be slow with winning, their process. It’s just, I’m not there anymore. I want to win, and I’ve always been that way, so. I don’t feel like I have very much time to waste. I just want to continue to play at a high level, and I feel like I can do that: play at a high level and win.”
Being a luxury tax team does not guarantee playoff success. Just ask the New Orleans Pelicans who are just over the tax after their trade deadline moves and have been hamstrung by injuries.
It is also not a prerequisite to competing at the highest level.
Neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor the Oklahoma City Thunder – owners of the NBA’s top two records – are taxpayers, though the bill is coming due for both. The bottom line is there are multiple ways to accomplish the goal of contending.
The Hawks – who have the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule as of March 8, per Tankathon – have to hope their method pays off or some tough conversations could follow.