From play-in purgatory to Knicks playoff series, Hawks forge new identity in wake of Young’s exit

ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young rose from the bench, shook the hands of his teammates and bid farewell to the 15,993 fans in State Farm Arena midway through the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ Jan. 7 win over the Pelicans.

After weeks of anticipation, Atlanta had finalized a deal that sent the four-time NBA All-Star to the Wizards for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

Young, the centerpiece the franchise built around for the past seven seasons, had become synonymous with the Hawks. And his departure was only the first domino to fall.

But when the dust settled after all the transactions, what remained was something different: a group of seven players who had started the season together and eight eager new additions who learned to lean on one another, carrying Atlanta out of play-in purgatory and into an outright playoff berth for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

A selfless, unified group is what coach Quin Snyder knew was the only path forward for a team that had lost its identity amid a revolving door of player acquisitions and exits.

“I think we’ve had literally about five different iterations of a team,” Snyder said, fresh off the trade deadline. “The key thing for us is going to be to continue to grow together.”

Snyder was off with his estimation. Twenty-five different starting lineups have taken the court this season for the Hawks, but heading into a first-round series against the Knicks, the April version is the most cohesive to date.

A 13-2 winning streak in March, which brought the Hawks from the familiar cusp of the play-in tournament into the mix for the No. 5 or No. 6 seeds, proved that to be true.

Four of the Hawks’ starting five embarked on the season together: center Onyeka Okongwu, first-time All-Star Jalen Johnson, reigning Most Improved Player Dyson Daniels and new addition Nickeil Alexander-Walker. All of them are having career years.

McCollum, acquired in the Young trade, replaced former No. 1 draft pick Zaccharie Risacher in the lineup and brought the veteran presence the team needed. Jonathan Kuminga, when healthy, has established himself as the sixth man.

“The fact that our group has connected the way they have in a short period of time really speaks to those guys in the locker room,” Snyder said after the Hawks’ April 3 win against the Nets. “They’ve embraced one another as much as everything. … We’ve talked about it a lot, the roles are going to evolve and you’re going to have different things that are available to you at different times. As long as we stay connected and play with the pass, good things can happen.”

That connection will be tested against a Knicks team that enters the series with a clear advantage in continuity, built around a core that has played together for years, and in some cases, dating back to college.

Atlanta is banking on momentum to challenge New York’s long-standing chemistry.

“It takes time to build chemistry. We have a bunch of guys here who are willing to work at things and play basketball the right way,” Okongwu said. “I’m proud of that.”

“The new guys have been really good for us,” Daniels said. “Not just on the floor but in the locker room as well, building chemistry, you know, team meetings, really speaking up. I think our team’s just gelling really well at the moment. Guys know their role now. Everyone’s out there playing really hard. … We know what it takes to win.”

Snyder often credits the full roster buy-in as the reason for the late-season surge.

“That’s who we are,” he said. “When we’re playing that way and looking for each other, helping each other on the offensive end, whether it’s a screen or a pass or running for somebody, that’s when we’re a more efficient offensive team, and you know, our guys are really making an effort to execute in those situations.”

And perhaps most importantly, Snyder added, it’s something he’s seen few times in his coaching career.

“When you get a group that feels that way and wants to play that way, and is able to put the team in front of themselves individually, I think it’s a rare thing.”

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