When it comes down to it, the biggest question when it comes to the Atlanta Hawks is if they have the right leadership.
This is why they're on their third (well fourth, technically) head coach in five years. It's also why the face of the franchise, two-time All-Star Trae Young, is rumored to be on the hot seat in Atlanta.
Going from an inexperienced head coach with a laissez faire offensive system in Lloyd Pierce, to a veteran head coach with high expectations — both internally and externally — for himself and the team in Nate McMillan, the Hawks shifted gears for a short period, with their high point a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. Yet, with tension between Young and McMillan snowballing into a public affair, Atlanta actually lucked into a coach with a better reputation in Quin Snyder.
Biggest need Hawks must address in 2023 NBA offseason
Whether Quin Snyder is the leader the Atlanta Hawks need or not remains to be seen.
The offense improved with due to them playing with a better pace and taking more 3-point attempts. Young improved defensively, playing with more focus and intensity.
Yet, the Hawks went 13-15 under Snyder to end the regular season and clawed their way to a 2-4 loss against the Boston Celtics in the First Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Furthermore, shooting specialist AJ Griffin — the 16th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft — was underutilized by Snyder despite his strong play throughout the season.
Which brings us to Young, and not in the least because Snyder fell into the trap he did with the Utah Jazz, becoming too over-reliant on one player offensively and suffering in the playoffs because of it.
No matter how talented he is, Young has to improve his leadership abilities, and that begins not with him being more vocal but setting a better example. At this point, his accountability is in question, and Hawks newcomer Dejounte Murray has seemingly been the leader.
Murray's behavior in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, specifically him purposely bumping a referee, was immature and unbecoming of a team leader. However, Murray has taken it upon himself to be a mentor for young pieces like Jalen Johnson, impressive for a player spending their first season with the Hawks himself.
Which is why the Hawks need to bring in people — on both the coaching staff and on the roster — with unquestionable leadership ability. Individuals who — like Al Horford for the Boston Celtics, Udonis Haslem for the Miami Heat, or Mike Brown for the Sacramento Kings — help maximize their team's potential with their intangibles.
Coaching candidates
In looking around potential coaches that might look to become top assistants — perhaps even associate head coach — for the Hawks, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Mitch Johnson could be the best option.
To start, Johnson was in line for the Hawks head coaching vacancy before Synder won out. As part of the vaunted Spurs culture and considering his familiarity with Murray, having Johnson on the bench is already a circumstantial win.
This quote from the Stanford alum and son of former NBA player John Johnson particularly stands out (h/t Jeph Duarte of Pounding the Rock):
“He always talked to me in terms of the way you see the game, the way you got to think for your teammates, the way little nuances can give you an advantage. Looking back, I think that really did help me become a coach long before I knew I wanted to be a coach. Even now, I draw upon those references all the time.”
Milwaukee Bucks assistant head coach Charles Lee, who was also in serious consideration for the Hawks head coaching vacancy after Nate McMillan was fired, has a great reputation among players. For a team that has seemed to have issues getting the best out of theirs, his hiring could mark an important step forward for the franchise.
Free agent options
15-year NBA veteran George Hill would be a great pickup for the Atlanta Hawks. When he and Jordan Nwora were traded to the Indiana Pacers during the 2022-23 season, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle and others said that Hill was a vocal leader his first day with the team. Affable, professional, and possessing a wealth of experience, having Hill on the roster may greatly benefit the franchise.
Furthermore, Hill averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 0.7 steals in 21.3 minutes per game over the past three seasons. All while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point range.
Longtime locker room leader Jeff Green is another well-documented leader whose professionalism and mindset only meet their match in his ability to triumph over adversity, considering that Green battled back from heart surgery to continue his NBA career. To the latter point, while the Hawks players don't seem to lack love for the game, having Green in the building would be a constant reminder of what they need to appreciate.
On the court, Green is a stretch-big with a high basketball IQ that can still play above-the-rim at 36-years-old. Hes averaged 9.8 points in 24.0 minutes per game over the past three seasons, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from 3-point range in that time.
Fortunately, whether or not Hill or Green had a spot in the rotation or not, they're at a point in their careers where they can accept an end-of-bench role as much as a leadership position.
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