5 NBA front offices under major pressure this summer
By Tyler Hurst
4. Atlanta Hawks
This time two years ago, many believed Atlanta was ready to ascend into one of the power players in the Eastern Conference. With a surprise conference finals run aligning with a superstar coronation in the form of Trae Young’s brilliance, the sky appeared to be the limit.
My, how the mighty have fallen.
The Hawks have followed up their coming-out-party with back-to-back tumultuous years. In both, they seemed to coast during the regular season, appearing completely disinterested at times. This apparent lack of focus led to the 2021-22 and 2022-23 Hawks clawing for a spot in the play-in tournament and eventual first-round losses.
As the cherry on top, former head coach Nate McMillian was fired mid-season this past year.
The Hawks simply cannot accept three straight years of failure. The Eastern Conference is getting tougher every year. If Atlanta does not immediately improve, the Hawks could wade deeper into the limbo of mediocrity; or worse, start from scratch all over again.
The front office has done the right things so far. Atlanta’s biggest weakness over the past two years has been defense. So, what did they do? They went out and hired Quin Snyder, one of the best defensive minds in basketball. Snyder knows what he’s doing and what he needs to have a competitive roster.
Snyder and general manager Landry Fields will surely work hand and hand to assemble the proper pieces and have the Hawks ready to compete in the East again.
Whether it takes a mini overhaul or a massive undertaking, the Hawks’ front office has to get this right. If they don’t, the wrong type of dominoes are going to start falling.
With the 15th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft and the flexibility to make solid moves, the Hawks will have every chance.