The Atlanta Hawks had one chance to change their trajectory: the NBA Draft Lottery on May 12.
Hawks brass knew this would be the last time in a long time that the company could have control over its future, largely due to a June 2022 trade that sent Dejounte Murray from San Antonio to the Hawks for a number of picks, including the first of Atlanta in 2025. -round selection.
So when the ping-pong balls landed in the Hawks’ favor earlier this spring, giving them the top pick in 2024, it marked both a beginning and a temporary farewell to choosing their own fate.
Zaccharie Risacher was the choice, and only time will tell if that was the right decision. Granted, the 2024 draft class has never been highly regarded, but if Risacher emerges as the top player for a decade, that might be just fine.
But the finality of the design meant something different. Something potentially liberating and exciting.
Because Atlanta knew it had no control over the 2025 roster, the Hawks entered the 2024-25 season with no reason to lose, regardless of how good players like Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey would be. The Hawks were free to fully concentrate on the win. Now the front office won’t be making panicky deadline deals to deteriorate the team in a hunt for better offseason lottery odds.
Instead, the Hawks can get started and try to take a legitimate step toward the playoffs and a possible return to the Eastern Conference finals, which they made in 2021.
The streamlined thinking between the front office, coaching staff and players could also be what the doctor ordered for the relationship between the organization and All-Star Trae Young. While there has never been any real animosity between the two sides, Young has seen his name in trade rumors for three seasons. No matter how you look at it, that is no way to strengthen the bond between player and franchise.
Having a full season to put the noise aside and focus on the actual matches should give both sides a better idea of whether they want the partnership to last. So far there is nothing to indicate that this will not be the case.
That relationship is supported by the evolution of Jalen Johnson.
Questions remain about whether Young can be the best player on a contending team. Atlanta’s decision to play a heliocentric style of ball, with Young as the beneficiary, has not proven particularly effective.
With Johnson making a real leap from starter to star — at least so far — the overarching questions about Young could fade away, as Johnson could become the co-star the organization has always needed.
Johnson, a 6-foot-1, do-it-all forward, is currently averaging 18.9 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. His percentages are all down from last year, so expect his scoring production to increase as the season progresses.
Johnson’s ability to both handle the ball and set screens is what separates him from Young’s last great opponent, John Collins. While Collins was always an excellent play-finishing player and possessed high scoring efficiency, he couldn’t do much on his own, and the offense would often end when the ball ended up in his hands, away from the rim.
With Johnson, Young and his teammates can now rely on constant creation. The play doesn’t stop and the offensive flow doesn’t slow down when the Duke product has the ball in his hands and a shot clock about to expire.
With the addition of the 6-10 Risacher, the Hawks installed another tall forward in the starting lineup, which has helped offset some of the size Young gives up defensively. But more importantly, it has given Young another big target.
On Wednesday, Risacher exploded for a career-high 33 points and seven rebounds in a close win against the New York Knicks. Johnson added 23 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
That kind of win, with Young and Dyson Daniels combining to shoot 10-of-37 from the field and Bogdan Bogdanović sidelined, simply wouldn’t have been feasible last season, especially against a good opponent.
If the Hawks can suddenly win games where Young doesn’t have to be the center of attention, it will change their future, and drastically.
This isn’t to say the Hawks will definitely return to Eastern Conference prominence. It also doesn’t mean their season will even have a strong finish this year. There are still a lot of moving parts not in place yet, and their constantly updated injury report isn’t doing them any favors.
But despite everything, they do something different. They change their recipe.
Yes, there’s a lot to be done before the Hawks are legitimate contenders. And perhaps they’ll argue that turning Young away is ultimately the right path.
But that won’t happen until they give this team a real chance. And to take that opportunity seriously, players must buy in. So far they have. Young seems almost relieved that his offensive burden has been reduced, just as Johnson almost seems eager to take on greater responsibility.
If that momentum continues, the Hawks could lay the foundation for a very interesting future.
