The last game of the Hawks season is one most fans wouldn’t mind forgetting. From the opening tip of game 7 in Boston, you could see the young Hawks team overwhelmed and off balance from the tenacious and relentless attack of the Boston Celtics. Leaving the season on a 30+ point blowout would be a sign of concern for most teams in the NBA, but for the Atlanta Hawks it is actually a sign of hope. I am in no way condoning that nationally televised humiliation is something to pride your franchise on, but the fact that the Hawks were around to even consider a game seven against the NBA’s best speaks volumes about this organizations’ development. It was a unanimous opinion that the Hawks didn’t deserve a spot in the playoffs with their 37-45 record, but a thrilling 42 minutes at Philips arena quickly changed those theories.
Watching the rebuilding process, dating back to 2003, has been a primarily painful experience, but has finally started to show promise. The Hawks have historically been the laughing stock of the NBA with some of the managerial disasters (like consecutively missing two premier point guards in Deron Williams and Chris Paul), and producing a sub par NBA team on a similarly consistent basis. However, Atlanta can finally have an enthusiastic anticipation towards the coming season. The patients of the front office has landed a franchise all-star in Joe Johnson, a young and potential dominant leader in Al Horford, and a crowd pleasing show case of athleticism in Josh Smith. More importantly, this nucleus of young talent did enough advertising about next year’s potential in front of three ecstatic sold out crowds in Atlanta. Philips arena has been viewed as a home away from home for teams like Boston due to a weak Atlanta fan base, but times have changed. Performances like ones showcased in the 2008 post-season have turned the “High-Light Factory” into a legitimate advantageous home court for some of the loudest fans in the nation.
It is easy to get carried away with the enthusiasm carrying over from the post-season, but a lot must be done in order to ensure continued success. Initially, the Hawks need to acquire more depth at the shooting guard and center position. Needs like this are easily addressed in the annual draft, but the Hawks are the only team with out a draft pick in either round of the 2008-2009 draft. Not all hope is lost however, since the Hawks uncharacteristically boast an attractive salary cap situation. Consideration needs to be given to the soon expiring contracts of Josh Smith and Josh Childress, but making a play for another big man in free agency could pay huge dividends for this franchise. Moving Al Horford to the four spot, where he is more physically suited to play, would drastically improve his and the teams game. The Hawks have also limited their rotation to a 7-8 man roster, so acquiring respectable talent to hedge against inevitable injuries up and down the roster is a necessity. Atlanta’s 3-5 positions are all under the age of 25, and have only shown improvement with age. What isn’t getting better with age is the dormant contract of Speedy Claxton. Speedy has likely seen the last of his injury plagued NBA career, but the Hawks are still obligated to a 4 year $25 million dollar contract with him. He has only played in 42 games since arriving in Atlanta and will likely end up retiring before the start of next season. This will only improve an already attractive salary cap situation with the Hawks.
The youth of Atlanta’s talent, the revived fan base, and an attractive salary cap appears to be a very lucrative situation for who ever takes over the recently vacant Hawks GM position. With Billy Knight resigning in the past week, expect the front office of the Hawks to try to land an established and credible candidate to fill the position. The franchise cannot afford similar slip-ups that Billy Knight’s resume bolstered, and will make their decision accordingly. Also, don’t be surprised to see a coaching change in Atlanta either. GM’s typically like to bring in coaches of their choosing, and Mike Woodson hasn’t been setting the world on fire with his .323 win percentage during his tenure. Woodson may have bought some time with three impressive home upsets over the Celtics, but cameras couldn’t hide the obvious tension between him and some of his players (most notably Josh Smith). Mike D’Antoni would be a wonderful fit with the Hawks since he could utilize the Hawks athleticism into a run-and-gun type offense, where they have generally thrived. Whoever the Hawks land as a GM and/or potential head coach, this franchise has finally taken a turn for the better and has left its city with immeasurable hope and promise. Tip-off for the 2008-2009 season is only five months away, and who knows, it could be the year the Hawks finally bring home the trophy. Until then, we can only watch the remainder of the Hawks-less season unfold, and celebrate an unforgettable season.
Elliot Bernstein is a 22 year old native of Atlanta. He currently attends the University of Georgia, but will be graduating in August. He is an avid fan of Atlanta sports, and a very proud member of the Bulldog Nation. Elliot is extremely excited about working with SportsPage Atlanta, and believes the city of Atlanta has an exciting year of sports to look forward to!
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May 12th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I couldn’t agree with this article more.
And extremely well said. Thank you.
Good job, Elliot.