Anonymous NBA Executive Takes Big Jab At Atlanta When Discussing How the Pistons Should Improve This Summer

Whenever a young, exciting team overachieves but ultimately falls short in the playoffs, the 2020-2021 Atlanta Hawks are used as an example of how not to operate. If you remember, the Hawks shocked the NBA world by getting to the conference finals and losing in six games to the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in a close series. Since then? Atlanta has not won a playoff series and made the decision to trade three first round picks and a pick swap for Dejounte Murray. The Hawks looked like an exciting young team on the rise led by a future superstar in Trae Young, but that version of Atlanta crashed and burned. While they have done a nice job of trying to climb out of that hole and have talent like Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Onyeka Okongwu, the move set the Hawks back.

In a recent article at the Ringer, an anonymous NBA executive used the Hawks as an example of a team the Pistons should not try and be like.

"As one rival team executive said earlier this week, the “no. 1 job” of the Pistons front office now is “to convince [owner] Tom Gores that they’re not knocking on the door. Don’t rush it. Don’t go doing something stupid just because you had a good year. Otherwise, you end up like Atlanta.”

Ah yes, Atlanta, our latest cautionary tale of hubris and impatience in the East. Four years ago, the Hawks were the NBA’s breakthrough darlings, riding Trae Young’s audacious shooting and playmaking to a 41-31 record and a stunning run to the Eastern Conference finals, with victories over the Knicks (4-1) and the Philadelphia 76ers (4-3) along the way. The Hawks lost in six games to the (eventual champion) Milwaukee Bucks. Looking back, it might have been the worst thing to happen to them.

After a respectable 43-win season and a first-round loss to Miami in 2022, the Hawks got antsy—and foolish. Owner Tony Ressler publicly chastised his team, citing “complacency across this organization.” That summer, general manager Travis Schlenk responded by making an all-in questionable trade for San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray—a deal that cost the Hawks three first-round picks and a pick swap. Five months later, Ressler canned Schlenk and replaced him with Landry Fields. Two months after that, he fired coach Nate McMillan, eventually replacing him with Quin Snyder.

The Hawks’ playoff results since that magical run in 2021? Two first-round exits, followed by two failures to qualify. Last summer, they admitted defeat and traded Murray. Two weeks ago, they fired Fields. They are no closer to title contention now than they were in 2021."

While the Hawks should be used as a cautionary tale, they have recovered somewhat from the failed Murray trade. They ended up dealing Murray to New Orleans and got the winner of the NBA's most improved player award, Dyson Daniels. Considering that Johnson missed a large chunk of the season and the Hawks youth, this past season should be viewed as a successs.

Now the question for the Hawks is what is next? Do the Hawks attempt another big swing or stick with their young starting five and find veterans for the bench? That is the big question that new general manager Onsi Saleh has in front of him.

Additional Links

2024-2025 Atlanta Hawks Season Grades: Vit Krejci

How do The Atlanta Hawks Draft Picks And Assets Stack up With the Rest Of The NBA?

Giannis Trade Rumors: NBA Expert Weighs in on What an Atlanta Hawks Trade Offer Would Look Like For The Bucks Star