Resting on their laurels after finishing last season a couple of games short of the NBA Finals, the Hawks fell flat on their face in the playoffs this season. Miami dominated Atlanta in nearly every facet of the game on their way to a gentleman’s sweep. Trae Young had his worst stretch of games since his rookie season for a few different reasons — his own lackluster play, the Heat’s suffocating defensive game plan, and the Hawks’ lack of a secondary option.
Regardless, Hawks fans should tip their caps to the Heat. Atlanta’s season is over as we begin what should be an eventful offseason. Given the owner’s desire to win championships, Travis Schlenk will have to make changes. Schlenk will have a slew of difficult decisions to make — John Collins, Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Danilo Gallinari‘s futures with the team are all up in the air, plus De’Andre Hunter‘s extension.
One impending free agent that many fans haven’t thought about is Delon Wright. The mercenary-like point guard has been a journeyman after spending his first five seasons in Toronto. Wright isn’t the flashy offensive maestro that Trae Young has become, but he’s still an invaluable piece to this team. He only averaged 4.4 points, but his value comes in the little things — defense, rebounding, etc. Even though Young received most of the national recognition for the Hawks’ Game 3 win over the Heat, they couldn’t have done it without Wright’s contributions on the defensive end of the court. Although he’s set to hit the free agent market this summer, Wright told members of the media that he’d like to be back in Atlanta next season.
Delon Wright said that he would like to be back next season. pic.twitter.com/Kybi2BIjX1
— Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) April 27, 2022
Given Atlanta’s abysmal perimeter defense, bringing Wright back should be a no-brainer, especially if Schlenk pursues another star to pair with Trae Young. The Hawks will have to part ways with one or several of Clint Capela, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Danilo Gallinari. So it would behoove the Hawks to have a little continuity with the roster and bring Wright back.
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