What the 2021 Hawks can learn from the 2020 Braves
Our Atlanta Hawks just completed the greatest playoff run in franchise history – coming two games away from taking on the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. Similarly, the Atlanta Braves came one game away from taking on the Tampa Bay Rays in the World Series just last year. Both teams were propelled by a young, emerging superstar, and both postseason runs represent the culmination of multi-year rebuilds.
However, the Braves have taken a serious step backwards during the 2021 MLB season – struggling to maintain a .500 record and turning many of their perceived strengths into major weaknesses. Of course, some of it has to do with injuries, but in my opinion the largest contributing factor is a general culture of complacency from the Braves’ ownership and front office. To put it bluntly, I think the Braves’ leadership would rather be consistently good than take any risk in order to be great. Atlanta fans have been there; we’ve done that. This city is ready for a championship. Basketball and baseball are obviously very different, but the Hawks would be wise to look at the Braves’ previous offseason as an example of what not to do with a young, exciting team.
The Braves let multiple, important players walk in free agency without getting anything in return. They declined to tender a contract to Adam Duvall, leading to a severe lack of depth in the outfield even before Marcell Ozuna ran into legal trouble or Ronald Acuna Jr. tore his ACL. They failed to bring back or replace All-Star closer Mark Melancon, and even though the Braves PR apparatus has tried to push the narrative that they couldn’t have brought him back no matter what, there were multiple reports that he simply did not think the Braves were serious about competing for a title – an assessment I agree with. The Hawks are in a similar position with John Collins. Is he worth the max? Probably not, but he was a key piece of a team that could have won the Finals, so we need to bring him back.
The Braves put entirely too much pressure on injured players to come back and return to form right away. Pitcher Mike Soroka tore his Achilles early in the 2020 season. An injury that has been historically very difficult for pitchers to return from – often taking multiple seasons in order to regain their form (if they ever do at all). It was incredibly short-sighted of the Braves front office to count on him contributing in any meaningful way this season, and it could be argued that they rushed him back, which caused him to re-tear his Achilles, putting his entire career in jeopardy. The Hawks have similar (albeit less serious) situations with De’Andre Hunter, who tore his lateral meniscus, and Onyeka Okongwu, who tore his labrum. In no way am I saying the Hawks should count them out for next season. In fact, I expect Hunter to emerge as an All-Star level player sooner rather than later, and I expect Okongwu to build upon his impressive playoff performance. What I am saying is that the Hawks must have contingency plans on the off-chance either one takes longer than expected to return to form. Take nothing for granted! Which leads me to my final point…
A good team must take risks in order to be great. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Braves in the NLCS largely because they had more high-quality starting pitchers at their disposal than the Braves. In order to combat this, the Braves made the low-risk move of signing veteran pitcher Charlie Morton to a 1-year deal. They also signed career journeyman pitcher Drew Smyly to a 1-year deal – a move that made no sense at the time and continues to look bad in hindsight. Meanwhile, the two teams most similar in their rebuilding schedule, the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox, took major risks by trading away young prospects to get stud veteran pitchers. San Diego acquired Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Joe Musgrove. Chicago acquired Lance Lynn and signed closer Liam Hendricks. With the exception of Snell, all of these players have helped place their teams in position for deep postseason runs.
I want to see the Hawks act more like the San Diego Padres or Chicago White Sox than the Atlanta Braves. I want to see them take some risks. Don’t play it safe. Don’t get complacent. We are a young team coming off of the greatest playoffs in franchise history, yes, but we are guaranteed nothing going forward. The Milwaukee Bucks are the NBA Champions; the Brooklyn Nets have three of the greatest players ever on their team; teams like the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers are going to be gunning for players like Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, and Bradley Beal. This is the most significant offseason in Atlanta Hawks history. Travis Schlenk has done a fantastic job during his tenure in Atlanta. I trust him infinitely more than I trust Braves’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos. I want to see him going after these same players. I want to see him making tough decisions, like consolidating some of our young prospects and draft picks in return for that one guy who puts us over the edge.
Atlanta fans got a taste of what it is like to watch our team perform at the highest level on the highest stage. We won’t be satisfied with a decade of first round playoff exits. So far the Braves have proven they are not willing to do what it takes to bring a championship to Atlanta. I believe the Hawks are the team to do that, and I’m excited to see what this offseason has in store for us.
