It has been 34 games now and, really, is there anything about the Hawks that we didn’t know 34 games ago? The poor shooting, the weakness on the wings, the wild hair at point guard — it was all in the forecast.
Win a game, lose a game. Start 9-2, lose 10 of 11. Win at Cleveland, lose by 36 at home to Detroit. Win at Toronto, lose twice to Minnesota, which is 9-23 against the rest of the NBA world.
They say they’re inconsistent. Mediocre teams usually are.
This roster is not working today, and it’s not likely to work tomorrow. Make a deal. Make several deals. I’m not usually one to suggest tying one end of the wire to the roster and the other to the Acme dynamite and pushing the plunger, particularly before even the midway point of the season. But the Hawks are 18-16 through 34 games and there’s nothing to suggest they won’t be 18-16 in the next 34. So where does that get you?
There are trade rumors involving Paul Millsap. He says his “heart” is in Atlanta. I believe him. But the last Hawks All-Star who said his heart was in Atlanta was Al Horford. Then the Hawks balked at his salary demands, signed Dwight Howard, dangled Millsap in trade talks while they came back to Horford in a desperate attempt to try to convince him to stay.
Then Horford’s brain took control over his heart and he asked himself: “Why stay?”
So he went to Boston, heart and all.
Millsap can exercise an opt-out clause in his contract after the season — and he will because it’s the smart business move. His biggest reason to re-sign with the Hawks would be his admiration for coach Mike Budenholzer, but there’s nothing to keep him here, certainly not the promise of this roster getting significantly better. That’s not going to happen with Howard, who’s near the end of his career and limited on offense. Dennis Schroder still has maturity issues. Kent Bazemore is still a role player, even if being paid like a star.
If the Hawks are going to trade Millsap, it makes more sense do it soon rather than just before the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Here’s why: Teams right at the deadline are less likely to trade a major piece off their roster, but right now there are more bidders potentially looking to reshape their roster, similar to an offseason.
There is no strong argument argument against blowing this up. The Hawks would be the East’s No. 5 seed today. They’re two games out of third, but they’re also only 3 1/2 games out of 12th. Good teams get better in the second half of the season. Mediocre teams stay mediocre or get worse.
Even if the Hawks remained in the fifth spot, do you see beating Cleveland, Boston or Toronto in the playoffs? If not, there’s no point of keeping this group together.
Millsap is accustomed to trade rumors. He wasn’t happy when the Hawks considered moving him in the summer. But when asked if the talks seem more serious now, he said, “With the contract and the offseason and where we’re at in the organization right now, probably,” he said.
He said he is trying not to talk to his agent (also his uncle) too much because, “If I started listening to all of that, it cam affect my play. That’s happened to other players.”
When’s the last time he talked to his agent?
“This morning,” he said.
Korver also acknowledged hearing trade talks saying, “The NBA is a great job. But living stability is not one of the strengths of this job.
“We don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors. The Hawks have to do what’s good for them.”
There is pressure on Budenholzer to make his offseason redesign work. There is pressure on general manager Wes Wilcox, who does a lot of the leg work in personnel moves, but ultimately answers to Budenholzer. There is pressure on ownership, which has successfully negotiated deals for a new practice facility and Philips Arena’s renovation, but knows the product needs to get better. It’s just as clear the owners are not really sure how to get there.
Not long ago, the Hawks were embraced by Atlanta fans for its flow, work ethic and passion and teamwork. They became a fun and watchable product. But now they’re off the radar again. The well of “true believers,” to use their marketing phrase, is drying up.
They rank 20th in the NBA in scoring (102.3), 14th in defense (103.9) and have a negative point differential. They’re committing the third-most turnovers (15.5 per game). They ranked 28th in 3-point shooting (33.1 percent). Two years ago, they were second best.
Korver and Sefolosha have some trade value to contenders. But Millsap would bring the most assets in a deal. He’s a three-time All-Star, a terrific teammate and a smart player. He would be welcomed by a number of contenders, including Boston, Toronto, Oklahoma City.
The Hawks are fielding offers. Potential trade partners are doing their due diligence, checking with Millsap’s camp on re-signability. That tells you something could be close, even if a move is not guaranteed.
The fact the Hawks have hovered around .500 all season is not a surprise. The question now is whether the front office talks itself into believing that an 18-16 team will get better or it acknowledges change is needed.
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