Via For The Win
Key Players: Trae Young, John Collins, Taurean Prince, Jeremy Lin
Prayers up for all the Atlanta Hawks season ticket holders. The bravery it takes to look at that roster and still invest $1,050 - $16,800 is one notch below the marines.
The headliner of that Atlanta roster is fifth overall pick, Trae Young. After leading the NCAA in points and assists, the hype surrounding the 6'2 guard is somewhere next to Dr. Dre's 'Detox'. Comparisons have ranged from Stephen Curry to, actually, everyone has stuck to the Steph Curry one, proving the level of expectations the 180lb rookie is carrying.
Sending a 2020 second-round pick and the rights of Isaia Cordiner to the Brooklyn Nets for veteran point guard Jeremy Lin should help ease the load Young is tasked with. If Lin can stay healthy, he can provide the unthreatening guidance Trae Young needs.
Other Atlanta offseason acquisitions came in the form free-agent signings of Justin Anderson, Vince Carter, and Alex Len; however, the most important addition to the Atlanta Hawks is the replacement of former Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer--Lloyd Pierce. If that's the first you've ever heard of that name you're not alone. Pierce played college basketball from 1994-1998 as a member of the Santa Clara Broncos, meaning he was the "other guard" playing next to Steve Nash. He then played the role of assistant coach on both the collegiate and professional level, before being entrusted as the head coach tasked with leading the Hawks' rebuild.
Atlanta's Best Case Scenario
Via Clutch Points
Is it fair to judge a season's success on the development of one player? Is it fair to judge a player's success on how he ranks next to arguably the most transcendent player in NBA history? Rhetorical questions, the answers are clearly no.
In a perfect world, Hawks fans recognize the long-term project that is Trae Young. In a perfect world, the 20-year-old Trae Young recognizes that, even though their talents and playstyle are similar, he doesn't have to be Steph Curry. This is a best-case scenario so it'll live in that perfect world.
Young's shooting ability is widely publicized, but it overshadows perhaps his best asset as a player--his ability to find teammates. Statistically, the new face of Atlanta's franchise is the best passer in the one-and-done era.
Via Sports-Reference
Young's ability to shoot from anywhere on the court has earned him the right to a shoot-first mentality, but a focus on facilitating when his shot isn't falling would be a huge step in his game's development.
Another important developmental factor for Trae Young, and the team in general are the players not facing the expectations of shifting the franchise. The main players being: Kent Bazemore, John Collins, Jeremy Lin, and Taurean Prince. Excluding an injured Jeremy Lin, the above list all posted double-digit scoring averages in significant playing time last season.
John Collins is perhaps the most important of the bunch, posting averages of 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in his rookie season. Collins viewed his first season as just the appetizer stating," I’m 20 years old playing against these 25- and 26-year-old grown men...I’m still developing."
Noticeable development throughout the 2018-2019 season is all a Hawks fan should crave.
Atlanta's Worst Case Scenario
Via Rantsports
Is it fair to judge a season's success on the development of one player? Is it fair to judge a player's success on how he ranks next to arguably the most transcendent player in NBA history? It's going to happen regardless so who cares if its fair.
Stephen Curry averaged 17.5 points and 5.9 assists on 46 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from deep. That's the bar Trae Young will be compared to all season. The fact that Curry played in the system of offensive-mastermind Hall of Famer Don Nelson while Young will play under a coach that describes defense as "who I am" will be ignored.
"Boom or Bust" is a term often used as people try to project how well certain prospects will deliver. Trae Young, the most polarizing prospect of last year's draft class, personifies this term.
ESPN's 'First Take' devoted an entire segment to debating whether he was a bust or not after his first Summer League Game. This happened before he even had the chance to officially become a member of the NBA. Throw in the fact that he'll constantly be linked to Dallas guard Luka Dončić, who experts describe as "the next European star" and the stress on Trae Young could induce hair loss.
Now take into account his lack of help on offense. Despite returning multiple capable scorers, Atlanta has one player not named Trae Young that can create for others -- Jeremy Lin. Lin has played a combined 37 games over the last two seasons. If that trend of unavailability continues, the pressure on Young to create for himself and others for 82 games could cause the rookie to crack, and the hard-to-shake title of "bust" will undoubtedly be attached to the Atlanta franchise face.
Record Prediction: 22-60, The rough beginnings of a long-needed rebuild.