Exit Survey: 3 offseason goals for the underachieving Atlanta Hawks

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 23: New York Knicks’ Derrick Rose, left, fouls Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young (11) as he drives to the basket during the second half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series on May 23, 2021 in New York City. The Hawks defeated the Knicks 107-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Seth Wenig – Pool/Getty Images)

3 offseason goals for the underachieving Atlanta Hawks 3. Prove they’re not a fluke

The big question hanging over this franchise right now is if the Conference Finals appearance of 2021 was a fluke. You can argue this about teams who go as far as winning championships, with injuries and timing so important in getting over the top, but with the Hawks, this season just felt off from the get-go.

They beat an underwhelming New York Knicks squad in Round 1 last year, before getting the better of the Philadelphia 76ers in round two. A series more famously known for Ben Simmons’ inability to finish at the rim when it really mattered. He hasn’t played a competitive basketball game since and is now employed by the Brooklyn Nets.

The Hawks seemed to come into the year carrying themselves like a group who had done great things. They had taken a genuine step forward, no doubt, but you then have to put in the work to build on that. Young was his fabulous self en route to 28.4 points on a career-high 38.2 percent from deep. He truly is one of the elite players in the league, and that was only his fourth season.

This translated into team-wide success, with the Hawks finishing second in offensive rating (115.4) over the course of the season. Unfortunately for them, they also ranked 26th (113.7) in defensive rating. It’s great when you can score on opponents often, but you need to have some level of defensive prowess to be considered elite.

After the All-Star break, they actually rose to 17th in defensive rating. The only issue there is that, with a number of 114.7, they actually got worse. We had just hit a point in the season where tanking was in full flow for others, while injuries and jostling for playoff positioning were also taking hold.

It is hugely important for the Hawks to take the regular season next year more seriously. How many times did you hear a journalist or NBA personality bring them up over the course of the year? Exactly. Even with Young, they were just kind of there, finishing with a 43-39 record. It could have been worse, but they caught the Cleveland Cavaliers at the right time in the play-in game.