Hawks Preview: Can Atlanta Finally Build A Solid Defense Around Trae Young?

Hawks Preview

A look at the Atlanta Hawks entering the 2024-25 season …

• Last Season: 36-46 (lost to the Bulls in the play-in tournament)
• New Faces: Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., Cody Zeller, David Roddy, Keaton Wallace, Dominick Barlow
• Key Losses: Dejounte Murray, Saddiq Bey, Wesley Matthews, Bruno Fernando, Trent Forrest, AJ Griffin, Dylan Windler

Overview

The big question surrounding the Hawks is no mystery: Can they build a defense around Trae Young that doesn’t fold like a lawn chair?

We’ve seen this movie before. Young’s a maestro with the basketball, lighting up scoreboards and making his team a perennial top-10 offensive machine. But it’s not doing much good when they can’t stop a nosebleed on the other end.

Since drafting Young, the Hawks have won just 45% of their games. Only once have they made it past the first round of the playoffs, and that was the same year they managed a middle-of-the-road defense? Funny how that works.

So here we are. The Hawks moved on from Young’s backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, which means they’re doubling down on building around Trae.

Trading Young? Not happening. Tanking? Also not happening. The Spurs own a chunk of their future picks, so waving the white flag isn’t in the cards.

Atlanta has to go for it, which means finding a way to get stops — something they’ve been allergic to for most of Young’s tenure.

Enter Quin Snyder. He’s got some tools at his disposal, starting with Jalen Johnson. The 22-year-old forward made a big leap last season, not only as a scorer (16 points per game) but as a defender.

Johnson has the size, length, and athleticism to guard multiple positions, and when he was on the court, the Hawks’ defense was significantly better. They allowed nearly four fewer points per 100 possessions with him out there, and that’s no accident.

Then there’s Larry Nance Jr., who came over in the Murray trade. He’s a smart, versatile defender who’s always active, leading big men in steal rates.

Dyson Daniels, another piece from that trade, could be the X-factor. A 6-foot-8 guard with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and a knack for getting in passing lanes, Daniels could become a defensive stopper next to Young. Sure, his shooting needs work, but if he can even be a passable threat from deep, his value skyrockets.

Now toss in De’Andre Hunter, who’s already established himself as a strong wing defender, and rookie Zaccharie Risacher, who has the physical tools to defend right away, and suddenly, the Hawks have some intriguing options.

Add solid rim protection from Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu, and you might start talking about this defense climbing out of the basement.

Best-case scenario? This group gels, the defense improves enough to land somewhere in the top 18, and Trae Young does what he does best: carve up defenses and rack up points and assists. If that happens, we’re looking at a team that could win 46 games, with Jalen Johnson turning heads as a potential All-Star and Bogdan Bogdanović in the mix for Sixth Man of the Year.

It’d be a far cry from the mess we’ve seen the last couple of years, and at least get them into the upper tier of the play-in tournament.

Worst-case? The defense doesn’t come together, and the doubts about whether you can win with Young as your centerpiece start to get louder. Johnson’s leap stalls, Risacher struggles, and the team doesn’t make enough strides on either end of the floor.

The Hawks stumble to a mid-30s win total, and if they miss the play-in? That lottery pick they owe the Spurs could turn into a golden ticket.

It’s a make-or-break season in Atlanta. Time to find out if they can plug the holes around their offensive engine, or if it’s more of the same.

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