The 2021 Atlanta Hawks:
The Birth of a Dynasty
The past four years have not been too kind to the Atlanta Hawks. From lineups that featured both Alex Len and Jabari Parker to finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference consistently, the Hawks have been everything but an NBA success story… that is until March of 2021. In typical Hawks format, the beginning of the 2020-2021 season did not go as planned. After signing key role players Bogdan Bogdonvic and Danillo Gallinari, along with players Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn, they were expected to be a new and exciting team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. However, by the All-Star Break, the Hawks sat at a measly 14-20 and were looking at yet another lottery year. They struggled with internal issues, mainly between stars John Collins and Trae Young and problems between Trae Young and head coach Lloyd Pierce. The writing was on the wall, and the narratives were all already written for themselves. “Hawks combust massive free agency by wasting millions to surround an underwhelming star”, you could almost taste the feeding frenzy the national media was about to have with Travis Schlenk and company. However, Schlenk decided to make a bold and yet somehow necessary move in firing coach Lloyd Pierce and replacing him with assistant coach Nate McMillian. Now they were going to get it. Even the great coach Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, a man who knows a thing or two about winning titles, said, “you don’t want to miss on somebody like him”. That could not be further from the truth. The Hawks went on to have a 25-11 record after the firing of Pierce, giving them the 4th best record after the All-Star break and the 5th seed in the East. You heard that right… 4th best record in the entire NBA. Someone who may know nothing about basketball or did not participate in this fantastic season would ask themselves, how did this happen? In my opinion, it is quite simple. Surround talent around proper leadership and watch a flower grow in cement. The Hawk’s did not need Kawhi Leonard or the next Zion Williamson; they needed a leader, which is precisely what they got.
Fast forward to the end of the 2021 playoffs, and the Atlanta Hawks were met with a standing ovation from a roaring crowd at State Farm Arena following their 4-2 series loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Usually, something like this comes as a sign of the end of times. See the 2018-2019 Warriors, who, after five straight title runs, saw the end to their incredible run be met with cheers at a sold-out Oracle Arena. Things are different for the Hawks. This is not a celebration of what has been but what is to come. With rising stars Cam Reddish and Deandre Hunter, established players such as Clint Capela and John Collins, to the cherry on top superstar Trae Young, it is hard not to be excited about a team with this much talent. So now you might be asking yourself, what is next for the Atlanta Hawks? Anything and everything.
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Great article. Atlanta needs a positive dynasty.