After knocking off the 2021 Knicks and Sixers in what is arguably the second greatest underdog story of the 2020's, the Hawks vanished into mediocrity for the next half decade.
How did such a promising, young squad fail to ascend to the same lofty heights of 2021 year after year after year?
The trap of small sample size success struck the Hawks five years ago, and after earning the most amount of victories against the inevitable champs in New York, Atlanta must tread incredibly carefully in order to avoid landing in the same catastrophe as before.
Atlanta's performance against New York: encouraging - not telling.
The Hawks were expected to be swept, or gentleman's swept by the Knicks according to nearly all experts heading into the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
After losing Game 1 in New York, the Hawks were written off even more dramatically - until they won back-to-back stunners against the Knicks. While Atlanta couldn't get the job done, taking the champs to six would often be more than enough evidence to convince a GM that their squad is on the brink of a title run.
This couldn't be any farther from the truth.
While it may have been painful in the moment, in truth, losing Game 6 in embarrassing fashion against New York may have been exactly the reality check the Hawks needed going into the summer. It emphasized what Onsi Saleh must focus on - prioritizing youth and trusting the process.
Saleh needs to be patient with this young core
If Onsi Saleh can hold another few seasons before pushing his chips all in - and at some point, it should be done - his Hawks will be all the better for it.
Allowing the young core of Johnson, Okongwu, Daniels, Alexander-Walker, Risacher, and the 8th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft time to grow and gel with one another is the key to the future. That being said, nearly all dynasties must decide to cut one (or more) loose in favor of a key veteran before their title window begins.
Now is not the time to make such a decision. Winning two games in impressive, dramatic fashion against the title-bearing Knicks was great, but it's not a sign that Atlanta is ready to contend. Give the core a few more years to grow. Allow Risacher a year or two more time to figure it out - there's a reason he was picked first overall.
The Hawks showed promising signs of contending five years ago during the Trae Young run, and failed to prioritize slow growth, opting instead to stagnate into multiple years of play-in appearances. If they're not careful, the same fate awaits them this summer.
Be patient, Hawks fans. Onsi Saleh has shown excellent poise one year into his tenure as Atlanta's GM, and I fully trust him to make the right call this summer.
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