Will Trae lead us to a Championship?

[Vol4ever]

We tore this team apart to draft a superstar player.  Trae is that player we have.  What/who do we need around him to get to a championship?  

[marco102]

I'll just saw this. He can't do it alone.  If you're asking if he can be the best player on a championship team, I say yes. Offensively anyway.  If Cam can develop into a consistent offensive weapon it definetly lifts the Hawks outlook.

[JTB]

Yes Trae can lead the way as long as there’s defense around him. I’ve said it multiple times when you have a star point guard like Trae, like Steph, like Dame, like Kyrie, like a Steve nash.....it’s inevitable to put defense around these type of poor defenders.

Guys like trae have the ability to make up for their bad defense with superb offense, in other words their offense is their defense even after they improve defensively. The truth is Trae will never have defensive impact on the game so he need teammates around him to be able to pretty much cover that flaw in his game.

The great thing about our whole situation around Trae... is that Cam is coming around big time and not looking back! Dude looks like two way star potential since his shot has finally started to drop. It’s very possible for Cam to be this teams best player but not get the nod over Trae among fans simply due to offensive excitement. 
Moving on if we can get Collins defense to be even avg while also continuing to develop hunter as a good two way role player, and of course Capela does his thing....I’d be bold enough to say the hawks could make a real strong run a year after next but a lot of improvements would have to happen at nearly the same time.

 

other than that as far as starters go who could be beside Trae to make a run at the championship...to me they are already here (Trae, Cam, Hunter, Collins, Capela) just need to continue to develop and tighten up certain areas in their game. The bench will be better almost by default just because Schlenk will actually TRY this offseason in free agency. 

[Spud2nique]

Just build chemistry and let the kids grow together while remaining financially flexible and keeping our eyes open for good additions to our core 6. Trae/Huerter/Cam/Hunter/Collins/Capela

[capstone21]

We need vets, d, backup pg who defends and bench

[EazyRoc]

If all our young players play anywhere close to their potential and we fill out our bench..Yes..

[Final_quest]

History shows you need to trade for or sign another superstar.  Really depends on the ability to acquire the right complimentary piece.  
 

 

[macdaddy]

If Cam can become an all star then with the right bench i think this is a top team in the east.  But that's a big if.   We'll need Collins to continue to do what he's been doing and we'll need an all star wing to be a contender.  

 

[RedDawg#8]

LEAD us to a championship?

Im on the fence here. Not about the championship part, but about the LEADING us to one apart, particularly off the court.

The more I watch Trae in interviews, around peers, I think to myself that he has a star presence about himself in his body language, confidence and swag. He is mature in an older brother kind of way, comfortable in his skin, not bending to judgement or outside noise. But, he struggles to communicate clear messaging and thoughts via his speech. 

I say this to say I dont think he is a naturally vocal leader. I think that he has a long ways to go in this area. I think he feels the game naturally at a genius level (offensively) but if you asked him to teach someone what he is seeing and doing, he would stammer to do so.

Why does this matter?

Communication is everything. We've heard multiple sources, including coach, say that a huge part of us struggling was a lack of communication. Trae is the best player on the floor for us, he asserts his will on the game from a skill perspective. He, doesnt do the same vocally. That is a huge hole for us on this team.

John Collins, for example, has the chops to be the vocal guy and locker room politician, public speaker, etc... but does he truly assert himself and make his presence felt? Not from my viewpoint.

The other "CORE" guys that we can bank on being around as we build:

Hunter- Quiet, soft spoken

Reddish- Quiet, Cool

Huerter- Quiet, focused

 

My point:

What we were missing, are missing now, and will need to ever sniff a title, is more leadership presence both on and off the court. We NEED at least 1 guy who can both talk it AND walk it. All champions need those players, the one's who say, "I dont care if you like what I have to say, Im going to say it like it is." (a la Draymond, Beverly, Russ, etc...)  An Alpha, TYPE A personality.

Trae is an assassin, but I dont know if he is a dawg. That's not a knock, because not all stars can be both. 

So while his play will speak for itself, and he will lead us in scoring, assists, highlights, and relevance, I dont know if can say he will himself be that guy who LEADS us to a championship. 

That's a void Schlenk needs to fill via acquisition, or Coach needs to groom from within John or Trae

Edited March 17, 2020 by RedDawg#8

[sturt]

"Will" he?

Dunno, but if he doesn't, I'm not sure who in the foreseeable future could.

One thing's for sure. JC considers him the leader... about 1:01 he says so...

 

 

Like every championship team in the era of the modern salary and tax caps (ie, CBAs following the 98-99 stoppage), there's been a lead dog in the line-up who made the top 5 in MVP voting at least twice... only one exception, the 03-04 Pistons, as Billups only made that list once. Trae's our best shot at becoming a member of that club.

JC appears to be a consistent future all-star game participant.

Beyond that, we have question marks for now, and maybe so heading into next season. We've seen flashes from Hunter and Reddish, but there's quite a bit more we have to see before we can anoint either or both as horses.

We almost certainly need one... or both... or a future free agent... or all three... to emerge as another horse/horses before we can get serious about the term championship.

I would be surprised if anyone disagrees with any of that much.

 

 

[macdaddy]

I'm not worried about the leadership aspect.  It's about chemistry.  Everyone knows Trae is the star player and leader on the court but like with the Pistons there was Isiah but also Mahorn, Laimbeer, Vinnie providing needed vet leadership.  We'll have that at some point.  

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Normally, the 5 elements of a championship team are:

• A LEGIT All-Star player that will be a future Hall of Famer
• A very good 2nd player who many consider to be an All-Star right now, or is currently an All-Star
• A very good 3rd player who plays at All-Star level on occasion
• A team that is top 10 in defense
• A team that is top 10 in offense

How many of those elements do we have right now?  And what do we need to do to get these 5 elements.

[sturt]

7 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Normally, the 5 elements of a championship team are:

• 1) A LEGIT All-Star player that will be a future Hall of Famer
• A very good 2nd player who many consider to be an All-Star right now, or is currently an All-Star
• A very good 3rd player who plays at All-Star level on occasion
• 2a) A team that is top 10 in defense
• 2b) A team that is top 10 in offense

How many of those elements do we have right now?  And what do we need to do to get these 5 elements.

 

1. Does "future HoFer" = "top 5 in MVP voting at least 2x"? Maybe, but not sure. I know the latter is true, anyhow.

2. Do we know that? For both a and b? Or is that just in-theory? (It's a real question, not a statement wrapped in the guise of a question.)

[sturt]

11 minutes ago, macdaddy said:

I'm not worried about the leadership aspect.  It's about chemistry.  Everyone knows Trae is the star player and leader on the court but like with the Pistons there was Isiah but also Mahorn, Laimbeer, Vinnie providing needed vet leadership.  We'll have that at some point.  

After we get Ingram (... *ducking*... ) I'm sure there will be money left over to go get some 26-29 yr old help as reinforcements, and even better if there's enough to bring Millsap back home.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

41 minutes ago, sturt said:

 

1. Does "future HoFer" = "top 5 in MVP voting at least 2x"? Maybe, but not sure. I know the latter is true, anyhow.

2. Do we know that? For both a and b? Or is that just in-theory? (It's a real question, not a statement wrapped in the guise of a question.)

1) The top 5 MVP is probably a better prerequisite.  That, along with making 1st or 2nd team All-NBA more than 6x in your career.  Basically, you're an undisputed top 10 player in the league.

2) Traditionally, it's been more about having that top flight defense, but now it's swinging toward having that top 5 offense as well.

[Wretch]

3 hours ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Normally, the 5 elements of a championship team are:

• A LEGIT All-Star player that will be a future Hall of Famer
• A very good 2nd player who many consider to be an All-Star right now, or is currently an All-Star
• A very good 3rd player who plays at All-Star level on occasion
• A team that is top 10 in defense
• A team that is top 10 in offense

How many of those elements do we have right now?  And what do we need to do to get these 5 elements.

Gonna endorse this 100%.  We've been preaching this formula for decades and now I think maybe people can understand it.  Now that we have that legitimate All-Star.  My personal opinion is that the base formula is at least two All-Stars or one HoF and several high-efficiency starters (borderline All-Stars).

I don't have any real doubts or questions about Trae.  I knew that we had a legit floor general after his first couple of summer league games.  When his offense came around, my heart skipped a beat.  He's the real thing folks and he has the talent to lead a Finals team.  The next step is developing or trading for our version of Klay Thompson.  We need another guy that forces the defense to react.  I don't see JC in that role, but he's definitely our PF of the future.  We'll have to overpay, but he's worth it to us IMO.

 

 

[Wretch]

@sturt - I'm also a fan of Brandon Ingram. 

[sturt]

 

 

Probably need to qualify my assessment of Ingram.

I don't actually love his game. If he was 26 and I thought this was his ceiling, I'd be kinda meh.

It's how he's performed at age 22 and set himself apart... and thus, the implications of that to what he's capable of becoming in his mid-20s... that has persuaded me he's absolutely worthy of Schlenk giving it his best shot this summer.

[terrell]

2 hours ago, sturt said:

 

 

Probably need to qualify my assessment of Ingram.

I don't actually love his game. If he was 26 and I thought this was his ceiling, I'd be kinda meh.

It's how he's performed at age 22 and set himself apart... and thus, the implications of that to what he's capable of becoming in his mid-20s... that has persuaded me he's absolutely worthy of Schlenk giving it his best shot this summer.

YOu dont think N.O. will match? Cam might be a better INgram in a couple of years btw..But a lineup of Trae/Cam/Ingram/Collins/Capela would be a boatload of length to go with Trae and Collins lol

Edited March 18, 2020 by terrell

[sturt]

1 hour ago, terrell said:

YOu dont think N.O. will match?

 

 

 

  

1 hour ago, terrell said:

But a lineup of Trae/Cam/Ingram/Collins/Capela would be a boatload of length to go with Trae and Collins lol

Yep, no doubt.