The Atlanta Hawks were among the bigger disappointing teams in 2022-23. The Hawks entered last season with high hopes after acquiring Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs last summer. However, the Hawks had some internal issues, eventually leading to coach Nate McMillan’s firing after going 29-30 through 59 games. The Hawks did earn the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed with a 41-41 record. But they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight year, falling to the Boston Celtics in six games.
2023-24 NBA Power Rankings Offseason Edition: No. 17 Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta enters the 2023-24 season, hoping not to be one of the teams “stuck in the middle.” The Hawks made a lot of moves this offseason though I’m not sure if they got any better. That is why they start at No. 17 in my NBA power rankings.
Quin Snyder returns to the first chair after leading the Hawks to a 10-11 record after taking the job. The Hawks also return four of their five starters and nine of their top ten players from a year ago. Murray and Trae Young, who struggled with his shot and turnovers, get another chance to make the pairing work.
Besides Young, De’Andre Hunter and John Collins also had disappointing campaigns. Meanwhile, Bogdan Bogdanovic is coming off one of the best shooting seasons of his career though he did miss 28 games as he didn’t play until December.
Meanwhile, Saddiq Bey was solid after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Pistons. Onyeka Okongwu is coming into his own at 22, and A.J. Griffin Jr. showed off some of the shooting prowess that got him labeled as one of the best shooters in the 2022 draft.
Atlanta made 11 separate transactions since the NBA draft in late June. However, the only players they have to show for the moves are Patty Mills, Wesley Matthews, Miles Norris, Kobe Bufkin, Seth Lundy, and Mouhamed Gueye.
Hawks Summer League
Atlanta went 3-2 in the 2K24 Summer League action last month. But it wasn’t an excellent session for many Hawks. Norris, who is on a two-way contract, and Gueye were two of the team’s top performers.
Norris went undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara in June. However, the 6-foot-10 forward was highly efficient in Las Vegas, averaging 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds over 15 minutes while shooting 60 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from the 3-point line.
Gueye is an athletic, lengthy forward who is a good rebounder and rim protector. The 20-year-old compiled 9.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks while surprisingly showing off unexpected proficiency from beyond the arc (6 of 16). Atlanta acquired the second-round pick from Boston via Charlotte for a 2027 second-rounder.
Bufkin, the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft, demonstrated his enormous scoring potential but struggled shooting the ball and with turnovers. Griffin, who played two games in Vegas, and Lundy also struggled shooting the ball. Lundy is on a two-way contract with the Hawks after being selected in the second round in this year’s draft.
Best Offseason Move: Extending Dejounte Murray’s Contract
While things didn’t go the way the Hawks wanted with the pairing of Young and Murray the first time around, Atlanta didn’t have much choice other than to extend Murray. The Hawks gave up three future first-rounders for Murray last summer, including a pick in this year’s draft. The extension was for four years and was worth $114.1 million.
Murray played well for the Hawks last season. The 27-year-old combo guard put up similar numbers to the previous season, where he was named an all-star for the first time. While his shooting numbers were up from the last season, his rebounds and assists were down. Murray produced eight double-doubles and one triple-double.
Atlanta went 38-36 in the games that Murray played this past season. However, the Hawks were worse on both ends of the floor when Murray was on the court rather than off.
Worst Offseason Move: Not Improving Their Defense
Defense was a massive issue for Atlanta a season ago, and the Hawks didn’t do anything to solidify it.
Atlanta was seventh in offensive rating last year and 22nd in defensive rating last year. The Hawks’ most significant issue was protecting the paint as they ranked second to last in the league in 2-point field goal attempts, sixth worse in 2-point field goal makes, and 10th worse in 2-point field goal percentage. They allowed the second most points in the paint and ranked in the bottom third in the league in transition defense and second-chance points.
Young is a liability on defense, and Clint Capela is not a top center defensively despite his rebounding and shot-blocking prowess. The Hawks also lost defensive depth by trading Collins, as Okungwu or Bey will likely move into the starting lineup at the four. Bufkin has some defensive chops, but Matthews and Mills, who is more of a liability, are not known for their defense.
What’s Next?: Figuring Out Who Starts at the Four
Atlanta’s roster appears almost set. The Hawks have 15 players on standard contracts and two two-way slots filled. The Hawks have a few training camp spots left to fill. However, they have a qualifying two-way offer out to restricted free agent Trent Forrest.
However, their biggest concern heading into training camp is who will start at power forward. The Hawks are still trying to pry Pascal Siakam away from Toronto. But there hasn’t been much traction on that trade front.
So, if Siakam doesn’t wind up in Atlanta by the season’s start, it appears that Bey and Okongwu are battling for the starting spot. Bey is a more experienced and better offensive option. He played well in his 25 appearances for the Hawks last season, averaging 11.6 points, 2.0 3-pointers, and 4.8 rebounds over 26 minutes a game. Bey also registered a career-best shooting slash line of .470/.400/.862. However, he is not good on the defensive end.
Meanwhile, Okongwu is a defensive force and a superb rebounder but is very limited offensively. Okongwu is coming off a career season, compiling 9.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 24 minutes of action. If the 23-year-old starts alongside Capela, the Hawks would need to find a backup center. So, barring a Capela trade, Okongwu starting is unlikely.
