3 Ways the No. 1 pick can help Landry Fields turn the Hawks into contenders

#1 Pick offers Hawks chance at fresh start

The worst place to be is sports purgatory – that space where the team is talented, but not enough to make any real noise when it matters most. That is where the Hawks currently reside, looking like a snake-bitten franchise even at their best in recent years.

This is where the No. 1 pick’s intended use comes into play.

The Hawks could easily use the pick to upgrade the current core, either directly or as part of a trade package.

There is also an argument to be made for doing what they can to tear it down and see if they can’t unearth their next star with the No. 1 pick. Fields noted they would cast a “wide net” in their evaluations.

Perhaps that search unearths a prospect he believes can take the Hawks further than Young.

“I just look at it as … It’s so good for our franchise. It’s exciting for us to continue to build out things that we’re doing here in Atlanta. This is just another tool for us. It’s exciting. It’s a great day,” Fields told reporters via teleconference on May 12. “We’ll get together as a group and continue to beat this thing up every which way to make sure we’re doing things right and what’s best for the Atlanta Hawks.”

Fields has been given the flexibility to take the roster in whichever direction he sees fit. Whether or not that involves either of Young or Murray arguably remains the biggest unknown.