The Atlanta Hawks Have Hit Their Ceiling

One step forward, two steps back. Beat up on injured squads, only to get shown up by lottery teams. It's been the story of the Atlanta Hawks season. Actually, it's been the story of the past two calendar years.

Atlanta has a record of 29-29, and they have scored 6,766 points and surrendered 6,766 points. There is no denying it any longer; Atlanta is mid. Last night's embarrassing 144-138 loss to the lowly Charlotte Hornets calls for soul-searching at every level of the organization.

WHAT A SEQUENCE FROM THE ROOK! @MarkWi1liams | #LetsFly pic.twitter.com/aPAooCJKtC
— Bally Sports: Hornets (@HornetsOnBally) February 14, 2023

Hawks head coach Nate McMillan has proven incapable of getting the most out of the team's individual parts. The veteran coach has lamented the fact he struggles to reach the newest generation of players, and the results bare that out.

Atlanta is wildly inconsistent on a nightly basis which is evident in their bottom-eight net rating. McMillan is not an in-game technician but a proponent of focusing on the basics. That is fine until the coach gets tuned out by a young locker room.

The pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray has failed so far, and it's not Murray's fault. Young refuses to move without the ball, and he is taking and making fewer three-point attempts (32.6% on 6.7 shots per game).

Of course, it all starts at the top. Atlanta's front office has put on a masterclass in mixed messaging. Team governor Tony Ressler said he wasn't scared of the luxury tax, only to embark on a cost-cutting spree that started with the Kevin Huerter move and ran through last week's trade deadline.

Atlanta has empty spots on the bench and never used its midlevel or biannual exceptions. But then again, the newly-formed front office traded for Saddiq Bey, who is due for a rookie-scale contract extension at the same time as Onyeka Okongwu.

With 24 games remaining, Atlanta is destined for another spot in the Play-In Tournament. The young squad has not taken one tangible step forward since its 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run and appears firmly positioned on the treadmill of mediocrity.