There’s been no surprise in my eyes that the Atlanta Hawks have jumped out to a hot 2-1 start. To be honest, I counted them out in the first three. But, after going 2-1 during that stretch, the Atlanta Hawks have shown that they can contend with the rest of the league.
Trae Young is averaging 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists after three games. Needless to say he’s feeling comfortable after his first year, and is now getting into a rhythm with the rest of the roster assembled. I mean are you surprised he’s going off the way he is? I sure as hell didn’t think he’d be averaging 30+ to start out the season, but when a franchise values you like the Hawks value Young, the confidence level must be sky high for the kid.
The Hawks have options and with sidekick John Collins at Young’s hip putting up a solid 14.3 pts and 10 rebounds in 58% shooting from the field (career high in fg%), creates another go-to option for Atlanta.
Rookie DeAndre Hunter is fitting into the fold very well on both ends of the ball and doing exactly what was expected of him to do; be a two-way threat. Hunter is shooting 67% when it comes to 2pt field goals, along with a healthy 57% overall from the field.
When we think of key role players I immediately result to Kevon Huerter who is a more athletic version of Kyle Korver. Having a safety net you can rely on to get you that crucial three point bucket off the dribble or an easy pass to the corner. We saw it last season and he’s really developed the role to start out this year. His numbers might not jump out at you, but when it comes to winning he’s a valuable asset. After Collins, Young’s most consistent look is Huerter. When you have a shooter who is shooting at a 38% clip from deep, you tend to Young tends to lean toward him when he’s in a sticky situation; similar to what we saw with LeBron and Korver.
To add onto this long roster a huge surprise was Cam Reddish. Reddish went early in the first round at #10 this year, and with injuries a big part of his resume, I thought he would be called down to the G-League. With three games down, Reddish is seeing a lengthy 23 minutes a game (more than Huerter). He’s struggled to put a decent stat line, but he looks comfortable and that’s all you can ask of a rookie of his caliber. I don’t necessarily like him at the four, but it’s worked thus far.
Lastly, this team has the talent and depth to make a legitimate run at a playoff spot. With the East more open than the west, the Hawks will squeeze into spots 6-8. They might have to work all season for it, but they have the firepower to take on the challenge.
They see Butler and the Heat tonight, so hopefully so they can come out with a win.
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