Atlanta Hawks

43-39, lost in conference first-round series

Overview: Over the summer, Nate McMillan was recognized by a Hawks fan during a routine visit to the doctor. But another person in the waiting room had no idea who he was. When told that McMillan was the coach of the city’s NBA team, the woman asked,“Who are the Atlanta Hawks?” McMillan wasn’t offended by the question. In fact, he thought it was very poignant. “Who are we?” McMillan repeated. “Two years ago, we go to the Eastern Conference finals, Last year, we finished ninth and have to go through the play-in tournament.” Indeed, after coming up two wins shy of the NBA Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1968, the Hawks took a major step backward. The front office resisted calls to totally overhaul the roster, but the Hawks did make a major move they hope will improve two areas of concern. Atlanta surrendered three first-round draft picks to acquire All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs. Murray is a stellar defensive player and also provides another offensive option when teams focus on Hawks star Trae Young. Young had a memorable season statistically, becoming only the second player after Tiny Archibald to lead the NBA in total points and assists.

Quote: “I’m so locked in on winning a championship,”Young said. “Nothing else.”