Setting realistic goals is the easiest way for NBA players to stay focused heading into a new season.
For a vital member of the Atlanta Hawks, there's a specific team aspect he hopes to help refine during the 2024-25 campaign.
“Just to improve on what we did last year, just make it to the playoffs and find a way to get there,” Trae Young told Forbes’ DJ Siddiqi on Thursday. “We just have to be better (at) taking it game by game. That's the motto, just get back there. It's a lot of things that go into having success and getting that far. I don't know if it's just one thing, but we have a group that just needs to focus on taking it day by day. We have a young team. I have a totally different team than I did back then. We have to have a whole different mindset, a whole different approach to what we do every day to get as far as we want to go.”
Last year, the Hawks finished the regular season with the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference, making them eligible to compete in the Play-In tournament. However, as the third-worst defensive team in the NBA, Atlanta surrendered 131 points and suffered a 15-point road defeat.
The good news is, it’s not like Young and the Hawks are experiencing a massive playoff drought. Entering the 2023-24 season, Atlanta was preparing for a fourth consecutive trip to the postseason. Of course, they were two wins away from achieving that milestone, but it would be ludicrous to suggest that the organization is in complete disarray.
With a ball-handling wizard and shot-creating extraordinaire like Young leading the way, there’s always a reason for optimism. The 6-foot-1 guard will be without his backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, moving forward -- but he’ll have plenty of offensive weapons beside him in Atlanta.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is a reliable perimeter shooter who understands the importance of relocating, Jalen Johnson is a fluid athlete with an evolving three-point jumper and De’Andre Hunter is a do-it-all wing with a calm demeanor, to name a few.
The Hawks also selected Zaccharie Risacher No. 1 overall in the 2024 draft. The 6-foot-9 forward is a promising long-range threat who can fill the correct lane in fast-break situations. The Hawks may not be championship contenders this year, but if they take a massive leap defensively, they'll have a decent shot of returning to the playoffs.
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