The Atlanta Hawks have finally gotten the backcourt of their dreams. They successfully nabbed former San Antonio Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray in a blockbuster trade. The move was heavily praised by fans, who said that Murray could be the missing piece this team needs to get over the hump.

With that in mind, here are a few bold predictions for Dejounte Murray in his first season with the Hawks.

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4 bold predictions for Dejounte Murray in his first season with Trae Young, Hawks

1.. Murray and Young will struggle to open the season

In theory, the fit between Dejounte Murray and Trae Young is perfect for the Hawks. To say that Young is an awful defender is a massive understatement: he's both too small and has frequent lapses on defense. On the other hand, Murray first made his name in the league as a disruptive defender on and off the ball.

However, both Young and Murray are most effective with the ball on their hands on offense. NBA's Player Tracking shows that both Hawks guards ranked the in the top 10 of most touches during their games. Young and Murray also get most of their offense from the pick-and-roll (both guards use the action around 50% of the time). The hope is that Trae takes a page out of Stephen Curry's playbook and starts playing more off-ball.

Still, don't be surprised if the Hawks struggle to start the season, as they figure out how exactly they will make this promising partnership work.

2. Increased defensive presence

We've already alluded to earlier about Murray's defensive presence for the Hawks. The former Spurs product will definitely come in as the best defender in roster when the season starts. Some fans, though, may not realize just how dangerous Dejounte Murray is on defense.

Last season, Murray ranked first amongst all players in deflections per game (min. 50 games) with 4 per game. The new Hawks guard also was the NBA's leader in steals with 138 over the 2021-22 season. His increased offensive load meant that his advanced defensive metrics slightly dipped last year. However, with Young to cover some of the burden on offense, Murray will be able to focus on the thing he does best: making life a living hell for opposing guards.

Murray will likely be asked to cover their opponent's best guards in the 2022 season. Expect the Hawks guard to start locking people up in jail once the season starts.

3. Murray's assists will take a slight dip

Dejounte Murray's breakout season last year was a sight to behold for Spurs fans. After a few injury-riddled years, the lanky guard finally put in together in 2021, piecing together an All-Star worthy performance. Murray averaged career-highs across the board for San Antonio, posting 21.1 points, 9.2 points, and 8.3 rebounds per contest.

Hawks fans are hoping that Murray will replicate that same production in Atlanta when the 2022 season starts. In reality, though, that's just an impossible ask for the one-time All-Star. Murray was handed the keys to the Spurs offense last season after DeMar DeRozan's departure, and he thrived there. Now, he'll be sharing the floor with Trae Young, one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league.

It shouldn't alarm Hakws fans when Dejounte Murray inevitably has a lower assist average in the 2022 season. That's just the logical conclusion when you pair two ball-dominant guards for the first time in their careers.

4. Hawks will avoid being Play-In tournament by earning a top-6 seed.

The Hawks have garnered significant praise from the NBA fanbase for this Dejounte Murray trade. After all, they nabbed one of the best young players to pair with their young star. Many currently have them as a sleeper pick to make some serious noise in the Eastern Conference.

This past playoffs, the Hawks had to fight their way through the Play-In Tournament, only to get stomped by the Miami Heat. In the 2022 – 23 season, that won't be the case. The arrival of Dejounte Murray should see them skip the Play-Ins by virtue of earning a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference.

Could they earn any form of home-court advantage for the 2023 playoffs? It depends on how their defense shapes up with Murray on the roster. If they make a huge jump from a bottom-5 team to an above-average team on defense, it's possible. The most likely result, though, is them making their way to the playoffs proper by nabbing the fifth or sixth seed.