Dejounte Murray, Trae Young, and the Atlanta Hawks had an unfortunate run-in with the Boston Celtics that ended their 2023 NBA campaign. The team may have retooled with new rotational additions but the core remains intact. This is unlike their other Eastern Conference teams who added stars like Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard among others. But, optimism is never too bad to exude for this team. After all, they were able to push the Jayson Tatum-led squad to six games and even got an Eastern Conference Finals berth just two years ago. However, there is plenty to address regarding this roster and the schematics they run. If they manage to fix them after the Hawks' preseason run, it could spell the difference between the Hawks' fatal flaw to their strength which could lead to a 2024 NBA championship.

A squad with a loaded backcourt tandem makes defenses hungry in the NBA. After the rise of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in the Golden State Warriors, there have been a lot of defensive schemes used to contain these types of rosters. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have been haunted by these traps. All of this may cause a collapse before the team wins the 2024 NBA championship.

The Hawks and ball security

These holes have started to show up once again during the Hawks' preseason. In their last game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Trae Young along with Dejounte Murray found it hard to find passing lanes on the inside. They would either dribble to buy time for their teammates to rotate off-ball, make a hasty entry pass that would get intercepted, or take a hasty shot without giving other Hawks players the touches they need for a complete play. This same beat cannot keep happening if they wish to get closer to the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Their assist-to-turnover ratio suffers by a large margin whenever they fall victim to these defensive traps. Against the Sixers, the whole team dropped 30 dimes. This happened with Young notching 10 and Murray getting four. But, Hawks fans may want to re-evaluate if this is a recipe for success. They should look at the times the ball was stripped from their hands through a defender or a violation. It led to 24 turnovers which is not at all great.

The same rhythm happened in the Hawks' preseason run when they faced the Indiana Pacers. This game did not have either of the Hawks' star guards but similar problems arose. The Hawks dropped 20 assists but gave up the ball 17 times in bad possessions. The same story can be read in their showdown against the New Orleans Pelicans. 28 dimes with 22 turnovers never looks good.

What needs to be done

There are a lot of changes to be made in the Hawks system that would heighten the team's chances for a 2024 NBA championship run. But, the first order of business should concern their set plays. Sure, they may have amazing guards that form a lethal offensive squad. But, variety is important especially when their schemes become more predictable. Running more dribble handoff sets or any other actions without the involvement of Young and Dejounte Murray as the primary ball handlers would unlock a world of opportunities for them. It would develop their wings and big men to hold their own when facing drop coverage.