The Atlanta Hawks opted not to make a splash on draft night, sitting on both of their picks, selecting Kingston Flemings 8th overall and Zuby Ejiofor 23rd overall. Flemings is the obvious headline as an incredibly explosive guard and willing defender who is expected to factor into Atlanta's rotation in year one. However, looking at the bigger picture at Atlanta's last week of decisions, the draft continued to signal a patient organization.
Atlanta was content sitting back, not making a push to get inside the top-five or spending this year's pick to add a splashy star. While a bit of an offseason move is still a possibility, it appears increasingly likely that the Hawks are building around their current core and relying on improvement and development from within.
While some fans could take fault with this perspective, it is hard to fault the Hawks after the way the postseason went. The Hawks were the only team in the league to beat the champion New York Knicks more than once. Only the San Antonio Spurs beat the Knicks in the playoffs, not managing to win two games as the Hawks did.
Add in the fact that there were two of the games that could've tilted in either direction, and the Hawks feel as if they have a core capable of competing with the top of the Eastern Conference.
Hawks Signal Clear Level of Confidence in Current Roster with Draft Decisions
For the Hawks, the concern remains finding a capable scorer that is willing to take over when the team needs a bucket most. To a fault, the current roster focuses on a team mentality that can lead to their downfall if there isn't that star presence to take over a big moment. With that said, the Hawks appear to have a high level of confidence that this problem is going to solve itself with the current roster.
It isn't unrealistic with Jalen Johnson clearly having another level to unlock, and now the Hawks have the promise of two exciting first-round rookies. Add in the recent trade to acquire Aaron Wiggins, and the Hawks are making it clear they trust the current core and believe in the direction of the franchise.
Draft night quietly confirmed this and gave the Hawks a chance to find a physical and explosive presence in Flemings. It will be interesting to see how this perspective might change in free agency and whether or not the Hawks give in to the pressure to add an established star or keep up the current focus of betting on their core.
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