NBA: How the bottom 7 in the East can make a return to the playoffs
By Ethan Becker
12. Atlanta Hawks: Depth and Development
The 29-53 season record for the Hawks is a bit of a surprising one. The Hawks certainly weren’t seen as a playoff contender, but the thought of Trey Young and Dewayne Dedmon meshing together with players like Vince Carter and John Collins suggested a low-mid 30’s record at least. So, what was it that made Atlanta fall just short of that 30 win mark?
The same thing that plagues every young team: defense and experience. The Hawks are the 11th youngest team in the league, and the fact that they were able to statistically fall in the middle of the league in a lot of categories is impressive. However, once again, defense seems to be a problem.
The Hawks struggles from this year are going to be fairly easy to fix. Develop your young players more, bring in some defensive talent, and find a veteran to lead the locker room along with Carter.