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He was maybe the worst defensive player in the league last year, so if he can make any sort of leap this year, that would go a long way toward alleviating some of his playoff concerns long-term. There are two areas in which Trae can significantly improve this year: defense and off-ball movement. What kind of improvement are you expecting from the second year guard? It’s not hard to see him being the engine of an elite offense one day. Danilo Gallinari’s first campaign with the Atlanta Hawks after signing a significant multi-year contract could be described as a tale of two seasons - a mixed start, likely. Today, we view veteran forward Danilo Gallinari. Trae Young has become somewhat of a polarizing player, but there is no denying his offensive abilities. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Peachtree Hoops is breaking down each player in regards to what they may bring to the table. He didn’t put too much on them defensively last year and didn’t want to overwhelm the young guys with the defensive complexities of the system he’d eventually like to run, but his offense used Young in a smart way and let him do his thing. Now in his first head coaching gig, how would you evaluate the job he has done so far?
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Lloyd Pierce was (and remains) well-liked in Philadelphia, where he ran the Sixers defense for multiple years. Before the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks stepped out on the court two weeks ago, many had high expectations of this series being one of the best matchups in the first round (including me). Trae Young, John Collins, and Kevin Huerter should take steps forward assuming they’re healthy, but the roster around them is worse than it was a year ago. They’re bringing in rookies to replace veteran wing players in Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince and elevated Alex Len to the starting lineup after he backed up Dewayne Dedmon last year. The focus is and should be on the young guys, but the rest of the roster took a step backwards from last season. Do you expect the Hawks to have a legitimate chance at grabbing a playoff spot, or are they still a year or two away? But being interesting doesn’t always equal being good. With an abundance of young talent, the Hawks will likely be one of the most fascinating teams to follow this season. Jeff is the editor of Peachtree Hoops as well as the founder of EarlyBirdRights. In another installment of our Q&A series, I chatted with Jeff Siegel about the young Atlanta Hawks.