New era of Atlanta Hawks will take patience from both team and fans

Atlanta, Ga.-The 2018 NBA draft is over and so is the guessing

on what the Hawks, first-year head coach Lloyd Pierce and general manager

Travis Schlenk will do with their three first round draft picks. The moves

have been made and the Hawks, for the most part, are better off in the

end.  The three draft picks, Oklahoma point guard Trae Young (fifth pick

by Dallas traded to Atlanta for third pick Luca Doncic and a 2019 protected

first round pick), Kevin Huerter, a 6-7 shooter from the University of Maryland

and Villanova forward Omari Spellman. These players are all underclassmen, all

battle-tested in tough conferences, and most importantly all young enough to

believe in their abilities and the future. The key word is the future. The

Hawks drafted for the future and in that regard the draft was a success.

The three young men were all in attendance at the

Hawks practice facility, the Emory Sports Medicine Complex, in Brookhaven on

Monday morning and the feeling around the building, filled with media, family

and friends was akin to a graduation ceremony or better yet, a first day of

school. The guys all looked like they rather be in practice gear working out on

the court instead of having to introduce themselves to and answer questions

from a gaggle of reporters. What the ticket-buying public must be aware of is

that these players will not light the night on fire and reignite the Hawks

former decade-long postseason streak. What will happen is Young will get plenty

of opportunity to play and most likely start. Huerter and Spellman will come

off the bench, neither is a projected NBA starter, and will have their moments

on what is now one of the league’s youngest teams. The key to this coming

season will be patience, both for the team and their fan base.

The acquisition of a 2019 first round pick from a

Dallas team that will most likely be back in the lottery next year might be the

second best move of the 2018 draft. The first being The Phoenix Suns drafting

Deandre Ayton, a player who not only wants to play for the Suns but is famiiar

with Arizona after having played high school and college ball in state. The

next best move was the Hawks getting a protected pick that, if it falls below

the fifth pick, can be another key draft pick in 2019. Atlanta will most likely

be in the lottery alongside Dallas next year and the possibility of having two

lottery picks in an unpredictable draft class (Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish,

Bol Bol anyone?) can leave any Hawks fan salivating for the future. Patience,

there’s that word again, needs to be the key to next off-season.

Young, Huerter, who has a hand injury and will not be participating in

the Utah Summer League next week, and Spellman looked the part on Monday.

Young, polished athletes with the world at their fingertips and the future

ahead of them. Unfortunately, in particular for Young who was an All-American

last year and widely considered the most exciting player in all of college

basketball, the expectations will be high, too high. Patience will be the key.

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