The Atlanta Hawks put together an impressive run down the stretch of the 2021 season, eventually reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and putting a scare into the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks. That performance raised expectations for Trae Young and company in advance of the 2021-22 campaign, but the Hawks were unable to meet the higher bar. Atlanta got off to a slow start, operating below the .500 mark for much of the season before zooming to a 26-14 mark in the final 40 games of the regular season.
That late push was enough to reach the play-in tournament and, eventually, Atlanta crashed the postseason party as the No. 8 seed. This time around, however, the Hawks were unable to summon the same playoff magic, with Young and Atlanta’s offense floundering considerably in a five-game loss to the Miami Heat. That early exit leaves the Hawks in a potential period of transition, as the “run it back” approach fell short this season. Atlanta enters the 2022 NBA Draft with the No. 16 pick and the potential to go in a number of different directions, with only Young as an “untouchable” piece on an otherwise egalitarian roster.
Roster Needs: Perimeter defense, secondary creation
AJ Griffin (No. 16 Overall), A: Griffin has an extensive injury history, which could explain a bit of his fall. However, this is a heist for the Hawks from a value standpoint. Griffin is a top-10 talent that slipped to No. 16 overall, and he is a dynamite shooter that was once the No. 1 player in his high school class. His physical burst has diminished, perhaps from injuries, but if Griffin can hold up defensively, the fit in Atlanta is logical.
2022 Free Agents:
Sharife Cooper (RFA)
Gorgui Dieng (UFA)
Kevin Knox (RFA)
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (UFA)
Skylar Mays (RFA)
Lou Williams (UFA)
Delon Wright (UFA)
Roster:
Trae Young
John Collins
Danilo Gallinari
Clint Capela
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Kevin Huerter
De’Andre Hunter
Onyeka Okongwu
Jalen Johnson
Chaundee Brown (two-way)
AJ Griffin