Another GSW Title Gives Atlanta Hawks Glimmer Of Hope

The Golden State Warriors just capped the 2017-2018 NBA season with their 3rd title in 4 years. That should offer a hint of optimism for Atlanta Hawks fans.

Wrapped in the drama of the now resolved NBA Finals, or lack thereof, were a number of conversations of the esoteric bent. Is LBJ now better than MJ was? Uh, no. Did Kevin Durant hurt the league when he chose to pile on and join Golden State to create a seemingly unbeatable team? Uh, no. Will the league allow LeBron and Cavs to get swept on their floor? Apparently, yes. Lost in all of this, though, is the glimmer of hope that these NBA Finals offer for downtrodden Atlanta Hawks fans. Yes, it does mean something for our Hawks.

As the minutes wound down Friday night, and it was apparent that the Cavs were done, with close to 5 minutes left, they showed a shot of Kyle Korver sitting next to LeBron James. Korver just happened to be in the picture, but he was the one I noticed. It’s kind of hard not to feel for the guy.

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Korver was on the 2015 Atlanta Hawks team that secured the #1 Seed in the Eastern Conference, and then was unceremoniously swept by the “dirty Dellavedovas” of Cleveland. Here he was again, on that same floor, getting swept. Three years later.

In those three years, that 60 win Atlanta Hawks team was dismantled by Mike Budenholzer, upon receiving enhanced Front Office powers and titles, after a vicious and public internecine Owners tug of war. Danny Ferry, who put together that 60 win team, was run out of town, and Ownership handed the keys to Coach Bud. That gave us $140 million worth of Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore, and a Dwight Howard experiment.

That led to the (24-58) record this past year, and last place in the Eastern Conference. From First to worst in three years. Subsequently, now Budenholzer is former Coach Bud.

Enter GM Travis Schlenk and Head Coach Lloyd Pierce. Their task is to rebuild, recast, and renew. Schlenk comes to Atlanta via those aforementioned World Champion Golden State Warriors. Word is that he was integral to their player acquisition and development. Coach Pierce arrives via Philadelphia, home of “the process”. What is meant by that is their own rebuilding process. That just netted them a (52-30) record this year, and 3rd place in the East. Coach Pierce, it is said, was integral to their player acquisition and development. See a theme?

We’ve already written in this space about it, but it is worth repeating. For all of the kudos and congrats Mike Budenholzer got for his coaching, one glaring weakness of his time in ATL was NBA Draft results. They are fantastically abysmal. And it caught up to him. And the team.

John Collins is really the only true success, recently, in that area, and I give Schlenk credit for that. Taurean Prince is a good player, but not one that can erase a litany of other misses.

That is where this fire and brimstone can form the phoenix (or Hawk, in this case) rising from the ashes. The NBA Draft. We are less than two weeks away from the 2018 Draft, and Atlanta is positioned to begin the replenishing process.

Schlenk and Pierce are known for this very thing. It is why they were brought here. We’ll know in short order what direction they are taking the team, the fans, and our city.

There a lot of takeaways from this past NBA season and these NBA Finals. Most have nothing to do with our Atlanta Hawks.

But, some do. Golden State didn’t just win because of Kevin Durant. They drafted exceedingly well. Philadelphia made the playoffs, not because of Free Agency, but because they drafted exceedingly well. Atlanta finished dead last, because they didn’t. It’s simple, really.

Next: Top 5 Wide Receivers All-Time For The Atlanta Falcons

If “what’s past is prologue”, then our Atlanta Hawks should be in good hands with Schlenk and Pierce. We won’t have to wait long to find out.

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