On the recent episode of his podcast The Old Man and the Three, JJ Redick touched upon the Atlanta Hawks’ magical 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run while discussing his forecasts for 2024. Led by Trae Young, the Hawks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals after missing out on playoff action for three straight seasons. They defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the first and second rounds respectively but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games in the Conference Finals.
Advertisement
Considering their dismal showing since the 2021-2022 season, Redick addressed whether that 2021 run by the Hawks was just a fluke.
Since then the squad hasn’t gone past the first round of the playoffs. They have even struggled to manage a .500 record and have a disappointing 13-19 record so far this season. Considering their current record, Redick contemplated the future of the team this season and their potential to compete this postseason.
During a conversation with Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr., Redick stated, “Atlanta could get into that sixth spot. But again, a first round exit.” The Hawks are currently 11th in the East. They will need to be far more consistent next year to get anywhere close to the sixth spot. While Redick highlighted the unreliability of the teams sitting ahead of ATL on the table, the Hawks have themselves been nothing but inconsistent, depending too much on the Trae Young and Dejounte Murray duo.
“I just think when we talk about the Hawks directionally is like how do we get back to 2021 [Eastern Conference Finals] and was 2021 a simple aberration, was it just an anomaly? Was it you know a whirlwind of things come together? Because I just don’t see a path right now, they are anything but a first-round team,” Redick added.
These concerns are legitimate because many fans expected the Hawks to figure out their winning rotations ahead of the 2023-24 season. They added two-way guard Dejounte Murray before the 2022-23 season to help out Trae Young and thought that the team would adjust after yet another sub-par season. Things haven’t worked out according to plan for the Hawks.
Atlanta’s Eastern Conference Semifinals win against the 76ers had certainly shocked the NBA community. While it may be disrespectful to dismiss the Hawks’ 2021 run as a fluke, there is no doubt that they are not beating the 76ers in the postseason this year as currently constructed. There is a lack of depth in the team that would come back to haunt them in the business end of the season.
Their centerpiece is a defensive liability. And there is just not enough support system around Young on the offensive end. The Hawks will need to move around some pieces to be impactful again.
Another sorry story for the Atlanta Hawks
Despite adding a strong perimeter defender, the Hawks’ defensive rating for the current season is 119.7, which is among the bottom five teams in the league. The Hawks are 11th in the East and have lost six of their last ten games. Their performance at home has been staggering, as the team has lost nine of their 13 games.
While a 13-19 record is indeed disappointing for a team with a solid backcourt and an emerging Jalen Johnson, more than half of the season is still left. However, considering their current form, they probably will have to be active before the trade deadline.
As usual, their All-Star Trae Young has been performing on an elite level, tallying 28.3 points, 11.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. However, he has a defensive rating of over 122 and neither he nor his team has locked down teams.
