Originally Posted by
JasonEvans
I think most folks would be fine with it. Everyone agreed that this very, very young team seemed to "arrive" a year or two earlier than expected. Coming into the season, folks were really hoping for a playoff birth, likely at the lower end of the playoff pool. When they qualified in the #5 spot that was seen as a great confirmation that this could be a contending team in a couple/few years as they matured. When they beat the Knicks and then were clearly right in it with the Sixers, that was seen as gravy and far more than anyone had hoped. Beating the Sixers and being very competitive with the Bucks (until Trae got hurt) was beyond anyone's wildest dreams (I happen to know one of the owners of the Hawks as well as the team's General Counsel).
I don't for a minute think that there wasn't some good fortune that went into this team advancing as far as it did in the Eastern Conference. I don't think even the most optimistic Hawks fan would take them in a series against the healthy Nets or Bucks right now. But, that does not mean anyone believes radical, cap-altering, roster shakeups need to be made. I am fine seeing what happens with this core as they reach their NBA primes over the next half decade. If there are convenient opportunities to add pieces, that's great, but we are in the quite enviable position of not NEEDING to do anything to have a pretty darn good team. And that assessment would not be changed if Ben Simmons had not gone gun shy and we had bowed out to the #1 seeded Sixers in a highly competitive series.
-Jason "I'd be interested in hearing from other Hawks fans here to see if they feel differently" Evans