Are the Hawks missing their 'physical enforcer' or is it an extinct archetype?

The NBA is evolving every hour of every day. The once-delectable recipe for success that governed championship teams even a mere five years ago, much less decades ago, has changed dramatically.

If you've participated in any level of discourse surrounding 1990s or 2000s basketball, you've certainly heard the expression "today's NBA is soft!" or "LeBron wouldn't have survived in the 90s!" or even "MJ would average 50 if he were in his prime today!"

The logic behind this largely boils down to the general truth that there was a highly physical brand of basketball 20-30 years ago, one that didn't reward foul-baiting and punished players who lacked the strength to compete.

While this idea has been greatly exaggerated over the years, the very basis of the argument remains sound. The NBA used to be much more interior-focused, and players who couldn't rise up amongst the trees down low rarely (if ever) climbed their way to the top of the MVP polls.

With all of the physicality that came with the elevated interior play and reduced long-range shooting from decades ago came a high importance of a physical enforcer, a role player (or in some cases, a star) that could both take and dish out his fair share of shoves, hip-checks, and the occasional hook.

Today's NBA is far different. Not only has the 3-point revolution turned the once interior-focused game on its head, but the way defense is officiated has diminished the efficacy of such an archetype of physical enforcers that were once so prominent.

Does a physical enforcer still matter? Recent history says...

In spite of the overarching trend, teams that roster a physical enforcer have time and time again found a way to rise atop the competition, en route to a title.

Dating back to 2014 (the dawn of the 3-point revolution), there has been at least one true enforcer on every championship roster:

When you look at the current Hawks roster, there isn't an enforcer that pops out of the page quite like a Lu Dort, a Dryamond Green, or a P.J. Tucker (if you know, you know).

While Dyson Daniels and Mo Gueye are truly elite defenders, they both lack a certain factor that each of the tabulated players above holds, something that is truly intangible. The best way I can think to describe it is a player who possesses at least one of three characteristics.

The three makeups of an enforcer: The Extra Gear, The Non-Self-Preserver, and The Dirty

First, the player can find an extra gear on the defensive end. You've heard of MJ, LeBron, Kobe, and the like of great offensive engines finding an extra juice of energy in the clutch to carry their team's offense. These guys have a way of ramping it up on the other end of the floor, and this energy has a way of spreading like wildfire to their teammates.

Second, the player has a legitimate lack of self-preservation. These guys all hustle that much more than the other 9 players on the floor; they extend beyond what their body is (healthily) capable of for a rebound, a loose ball, a block, you name it. This extra effort goes a long way, even if it may leave them sore/bruised the next week, or in some unfortunate cases, hurt long-term.

Third, and perhaps most unmistakably, the player has been labeled (aptly or not) as dirty. Draymond Green and Lu Dort are perhaps the most notorious for this. They literally make dirty plays that get into the head of the opposition. Sure, they get penalized, suspended, and fined, but the impact they leave behind has a way of sticking with the offense long after it's over.

I don't believe it's a coincidence that each champion since 2014 has rostered at least one of these physical enforcers. While it's certainly possible to win without one, why fight the statistics? It may be time for Onsi to make a bold move in free agency by signing an established enforcer if he's confident the Hawks will be contenders next year.