- The Atlanta Hawks won 41 games last season and lost to the Boston Celtics in the 2023 playoffs
- John Collins was traded to the Utah Jazz in the offseason
- Starters will be established players with a proven track record
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off another short postseason run. After winning 41 games during the 2022-23 regular season, the Hawks lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2023 playoffs in six games. Atlanta has lost in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back postseasons after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021.
Head coach Quin Snyder, who replaced Nate McMillan last season in February, went 10-11 in the regular season as the Hawks’ coach. He’s entering his first full season in charge in Atlanta and one of the things he and his coaching staff will have to sort out is the team’s starting lineup.
While Snyder will use training camp and preseason to determine who starts for him once the real games begin, the Hawks’ projected starting lineup isn’t too difficult to guess.
Point Guards
Starter: Trae Young
Reserve: Patty Mills
Trae Young has been the starting point guard for the Hawks since his rookie season (2018-19). The Oklahoma product has started every game of his NBA career and established himself as one of the best players in the league.
The 24-year-old Young averaged 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 10.2 assists last season while shooting 42.9% from the field, 33.5% from beyond the arc and 88.6% from the free-throw line. The two-time All-Star recorded 40 double-doubles and was ninth in the NBA in total points, 10th in points per game, first in total assists, and second in assists per game.
Young signed a five-year, $215.2 million rookie maximum extension with the Hawks in August 2021. He has career averages of 25.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists. Atlanta is 161-192 when Young is in the lineup, per StatMuse. It will be fascinating to see how Young and Snyder mesh next season and if the two can lead the Hawks past the first round of the playoffs.
Shooting Guards
Starter: Dejounte Murray
Reserve: Bogdan Bogdanovic
In his first season with the Hawks, Dejounte Murray averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field, 34.4% from 3, and 83.2% from the foul line. Atlanta rewarded the 26-year-old with a four-year, $120 million extension this offseason.
The Hawks were 35-32 when Young and Murray were in the lineup together last season. Murray didn’t play in Game 5 against the Celtics in the first round of the 2023 playoffs since he was suspended for making inappropriate contact with and verbally abusing a game official during Game 4. The former San Antonio Spurs star will have to keep his cool next season for Atlanta to make more noise in the Eastern Conference.
An anonymous member of the Hawks told Keith Smith of Spotrac that the franchise is “incredibly excited” Murray signed an extension. A few teams called Atlanta about potentially trading for Murray this offseason, but the Hawks were never seriously interested in parting ways with the All-Star guard:
“We’re incredibly excited Dejounte Murray signed his extension,” the anonymous member of the Hawks told Smith. “Was the fit perfect last season with Trae Young? No. But you saw what it could be by the end of the year. Those guys will make it work, because they are both too good to not make it work.”
It will be intriguing to see how Young and Murray next season in Snyder’s offensive and defensive system. The Hawks will only go as far as Young and Murray can take them.
Small Forwards
Starter: De’Andre Hunter
Reserves: AJ Griffin, Wesley Matthews
The Hawks almost traded De’Andre Hunter to the Indiana Pacers in June, but no deal was reached, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. While Atlanta can still trade Hunter before the 2023-24 season starts or during the campaign, all signs point toward Hunter being the team’s starting small forward to begin the year.
Atlanta drafted Hunter with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Virginia. The 25-year-old swingman averaged 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists last season while shooting 46.1% from the field, 35.0% from beyond the arc, and 82.6% from the free-throw line.
Hunter signed a four-year, $90 million rookie contract extension with the Hawks in October 2022. The Philadelphia native has career averages of 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists with Atlanta.
Power Forwards
Starter: Saddiq Bey
Reserves: Jalen Johnson, Mouhamed Gueye
The Hawks acquired Saddiq Bey from the Detroit Pistons last season. The Villanova product averaged 11.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 25 games with Atlanta while shooting 47.0% from the floor and 40.0% from 3-point land.
The Hawks went 12-13 with Bey in the lineup. The organization is counting on the 24-year-old to develop better chemistry with Young and Murray and turn into an All-Star. After all, the best teams in the NBA are usually led by Big 3s.
Bey has career averages of 14.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists with the Pistons and Hawks. The North Carolina native is eligible to sign a rookie-scale extension with Atlanta before October 24. Bey would become a restricted free agent next summer if he and the Hawks don’t agree to an extension.
Center
Starter: Clint Capela
Reserves: Onyeka Okongwu, Bruno Fernando
The Hawks have been shopping Clint Capela in trade talks all offseason. The Dallas Mavericks have tried to trade for the big man, but the Hawks and Mavericks haven’t been able to make a deal yet.
Capela will start for the Hawks next season if he’s not traded. The former Houston Rockets center averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds last season while shooting 65.3% from the floor. Capela signed a two-year, $45.5 million extension with the Hawks in September 2021.
Capela will make $20.6 million next season. The veteran has career averages of 12.4 points and 10.7 rebounds with the Rockets and Hawks. It will be interesting to see if Capela spends all of next season in Atlanta or if he’s traded for the second time in his career.
