Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins will have a big influence on Hawks' success

The Atlanta Hawks have started training camp, and players noted during Media Day that it could be very competitive over the next few weeks. It makes sense when looking at who's on the team now, and the plan is that everyone makes each other better, as the Eastern Conference will be at its best this season.

The Hawks made several moves for key players during the offseason, with two of them being Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins. Both came from playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder their entire career and helped them win a championship two seasons ago. They served two different roles on the team, but those roles were important for them to win, and now they'll be looking to do the same thing with the Hawks.

Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins will be valuable to the Hawks

There's a chance their roles won't be the same as they were in the Thunder, but outside of what they can do on the court, that championship experience is something that the Hawks will need to take their team to the next level.

Wiggins spoke about how his experience should be able to help the Hawks this season.

"“There’s championship pedigree and experience that I bring, but with that as a basketball player, there’s competitiveness and just the motivation to win again that exists within me. I think bringing that energy is consistently contagious. I think amongst the team, everybody wants to win, and everybody wants to compete, and with that mindset, we’ll all get better, and over time you’ll see the team develop and get better with that as well.”"

Aaron Wiggins on Media Day

Wiggins was a 3-and-D player for the Thunder who came off the bench, and his role should be about the same for the Hawks. General manager Onsi Saleh noted that the Hawks didn't have much of what Wiggins brought to the court last season, which makes sense why they traded for him.

As for Dort, he was a starter for the Thunder, and he was arguably one of the best defenders on the team. Outside of that, he knocked down some big 3-pointers for the team as well. It's uncertain what his role will be with the Hawks this season, and there could be an argument for him to start or come off the bench. In the end, it depends on what head coach Quin Snyder values to start games, but what should be most important is how they end games.

Dort and Wiggins will make the Hawks a more dangerous team on both sides of the ball, and when it comes down to the final stretch of the season, their experience will be key in those moments.

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