Peachtree Hoops: The 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks Regular Season Award Show

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Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

Dishing out a few regular season awards for the Atlanta Hawks.

With the NBA’s regular season coming to a close over the weekend, I thought it would be a fun activity to hand out some awards in order to commemorate some memorable moments and individual player performances for the 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks.

Now to be clear, this is no obituary — Atlanta can still secure the 8-seed with two road victories in the Play-In Tournament this week. However, given their status as the Eastern Conference’s 10-seed, and that they’ll be without Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu for at least the next three, and four weeks, respectively, we shouldn’t have any delusions about the difficulty of the task ahead for Quin Snyder’s squad.

As of Monday April 15th, FanDuel gives them the longest odds (+650) to make the Playoffs out of all the Play-In teams, and even if they do manage to emerge from the Play-In Tournament unscathed, they’ll be rewarded with a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics — the team with the best record and net rating in the NBA this season.

However, all that being said, if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks it’s to expect the unexpected. This team has shown us that they have both the mentality and the ability to rise to the occasion when the odds are stacked against them. As unlikely as it might seem, I have a feeling that this team has a surprise or two in store for us before the season is over.

Without further ado, let’s hand out some regular season awards for the 2023-24 Atlanta Hawks.

Dunk Of The Year

Nominee #1: Jalen Johnson Detonates On The New York Knicks (10/27/23)

Nominee #2: Jalen Johnson Gives Chet Holmgren His Kodak Moment (1/3/24)

Nominee #3: Jalen Johnson Posterizes Austin Reaves (3/18/24)

Nominee #4: Jalen Johnson Double Clutch Reverse Slam Against LA (3/18/24)

Nominee #5: Bruno Fernando Jams On Grant Williams (3/23/24)

There are few things sweeter in basketball than witnessing a player dunk all over another player.

One of those things is when a player dunks over TWO opposing players — like when Jalen Johnson dunked over both Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein back in October (Nominee #1). Another, is when a player turns an ordinary play into a spectacular one by pulling off a dunk contest worthy jam in the heat of the battle such as Johnson’s double clutch reverse jam against the Lakers last month (Nominee #4).

While both of these dunks — and really all of the plays above — were worthy candidates to win this award, I ultimately decided that Johnson’s double clutch reverse from the Lakers’ game was the best of the bunch, as it not only blew the others away from a style perspective, but also because of the pure audacity of the attempt in the first place.

Johnson picks up the ball in a position where 90% to 95% of the league might have been thinking about a lay-up, or a way to draw a foul on LeBron James, who was in rotation to make a play on the ball. Yet, Johnson opted to put his out of this world athleticism on full display — double clutching to avoid the all-time great (and summertime workout partner) in James, then continuing to elevate to throw down the reverse slam.

Additionally, when you consider the fact that he pulled this out in the middle of the second quarter of a meaningful basketball game, the attempt becomes that much more audacious, making the finish all the more impressive.

Even though he doesn’t put anybody on a poster, for me, the style, context, and spontaneity of this particular Johnson jam set it apart from the rest of the dunks on this list.

Winner: Nominee #4 | Jalen Johnson Double-Clutch Reverse Slam Against LA

Assist Of The Year

Nominee #1: Trae Young Ridiculous Wrap-Around Assist To Dejounte Murray (11/1/23)

Nominee #2: Trae Young Nutmegs Keldon Johnson For An Okongwu Jam (11/30/23)

Nominee #3: Trae Young Half-Court Dime Against Sacramento (12/29/23)

Nominee #4: Young Threads The Needle In Transition (2/2/24)

Nominee #5: Vit Krejci Turns On The Razzle Dazzle (3/10/24)

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for a good assist. As a result, I had a wonderful time selecting nominees for this award, and a not so great time selecting a winner as there is a reasonable case to be made for all of the passes above.

Trae Young’s wrap-around assist against the Wizards on November 1 (coupled with the ‘binoculars’ celebration and the subsequent Washington timeout) was mesmerizing. His nutmeg assist against the Spurs was as bold of a pass as you’re going to see.

Young’s assist against the Kings was a perfect example of his brilliance in the pick-and-roll, as he toys with the first level of the defense while keeping his eyes locked on Sabonis, waiting to throw a dart the moment he loses focus, resulting in an and-one slam for Clint Capela. His bounce pass through the heart of Phoenix’s defense was simply spectacular.

In the end though, I had to give this award to two-way forward, Vit Krejci, as his assist against New Orleans last month was my personal favorite play of the (regular) season. This came during Krejci’s fourth appearance of the season for the Hawks (second as a member of the regular rotation) and went a long ways towards making him a fan favorite during his time with the team this season*.

*Krejci’s two-way status makes him ineligible for the post-season roster (a point of contention — to say the least — for Hawks’ fans)

Everything about this assist is brilliant. From the behind the back move to get past Ingram’s swipe at the ball, to jumping in the air, faking the pass with the right, switching hands in mid air, then throwing a wrap-around with the left. The Capela slam and Bob Rathbun’s “Oh my! How ‘bout Vit!” call is the *chef’s kiss*.

If I was handing out this award based on each player’s cumulative body of work from the entire season, Young would win by a landslide, however judging these plays individually, Krejci wins by a hair.

Winner: Nominee #5 | Vit Krejci Turns On The Razzle Dazzle

Clutch Moment Of The Year

Nominee #1: Trae Finds Dejounte For The Go-Ahead Basket In Mexico City (11/9/23)

Nominee #2: Dejounte Murray Back-To-Back Game Winners (1/17/24, 1/19/24)

Nominee #3: Young Strips KD Then Nails A Momentum Swinging Three (2/2/24)

Nominee #4: Hunter “No no no... yes!” Three Against The Celtics (3/25/24)

Nominee #5: Murray Game Winner Against Boston (3/28/24)

The Atlanta Hawks were no stranger to close games in 2023-24, playing in 47 “clutch” games over the course of the season — second most behind the Golden State Warriors — resulting in plenty of memorable late game moments, albeit perhaps not as many as they would have liked, given that their winning percentage in “clutch” games (44.7%) ranked just 22nd in the NBA this season.

Still, parsing through the best of Atlanta’s late game plays, Murray’s back-to-back game winner’s against intradivisional foes, Orlando and Miami, back in January takes the cake as my ‘Clutch Moment of the Year’.

Context was important for this award. The Hawks’ had hit a rough patch in their season prior to these two games, having gone 4-10 in the month of December and 3-4 through the first seven games of January. With the team in desperate need of some positive momentum, Murray’s late game heroics came at an important time in the season.

One could argue that Hunter’s dagger three*, and Murray’s game-winner (both against Boston) from a few weeks ago were also momentum-changing wins for this team, however that fact that Murray came through in the clutch in two consecutive games back in January was the swing factor for me when deciding a winner.

*Wesley Matthews reaction as Hunter shoots the ball with the shot clock turned off and the Hawks up by one was part of the reason that I included this play. We were all Wes Mathews in this moment.

Winner: Nominee #2 | Dejounte Murray Back-To-Back Game Winners

The Iron-Man Award

Winner: Dejounte Murray (78 Games; 2,783 Minutes)

Runner-Up #1: Bogdan Bogdanovic (79 Games; 2,401 Minutes)

Runner-Up #2: Saddiq Bey (63 Games, 2,062 Minutes)

Almost all of these awards are subjective, with this one being the exception.

The Iron Man award goes to the player who spent the most time on the court for the Hawks this season, and even though Bogdanovic appeared in the greatest number of games, Murray played the most minutes on the team, thus, winning him the award.

Additionally, while Murray undoubtedly deserves his flowers for leading the Hawks in total minutes played*, Saddiq Bey also deserves a major shoutout for playing in 63 out of the team’s first 64 games of the season before suffering a season-ending ACL injury on March 10th.

*for the second consecutive season, I might add

Despite missing the final 18 games of the regular season, Bey still finished third on the team in total minutes played, never lacking for effort when he was out on the floor. Bey will be a free agent this summer, and while it’s unclear whether or not he’ll be back with the team in 2024-25, he deserves a hat tip for his effort and availability this season.

The “I’m Him” Game Award*

*(Given to the most impressive single-game performance from a Hawk during the season)

Nominee #1: Dejounte Murray | 41 points (17/24, 3/5 from Three) vs. Minnesota (10/30/23)

Nominee #2: Trae Young | 45 points (15/29, 2/9 from Three, 13/16 on FT’s), 14 assists, 2 TO’s vs. San Antonio (11/30/23)

Nominee #3: Trae Young | 32 points (12/17, 7/11 from Three), 15 assists, 3 steals vs. Phoenix (2/2/24)

Nominee #4: Dejounte Murray | 41 points (17/25, 6/10 from Three), 7 rebounds, 6 assists vs. Memphis (3/8/24)

Nominee #5: Jalen Johnson | 28 points (10/14, 2/4 from Three), 14 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Detroit (4/3/24)

Trae Young, Dejounte Murray and Jalen Johnson are probably the three most talented players on the Hawks, and all put up headturning individual game performances at one point or another during the season — with some (Murray against Minnesota, Young against Phoenix) occurring against more fearsome competition than others (Young against San Antonio, Murray against Memphis, Johnson against Detroit).

Factoring in the level of competition, I found myself deciding between Murray’s 41-point showing against Minnesota and Young’s 32-point, 15-assist masterclass against Phoenix as the winner for this award.

In the Minnesota game (just the fourth game of the season), the Hawks looked dead in the water at halftime, facing a 79-60 deficit after allowing the Timberwolves to shoot 67% from the field in the first half, before Murray went nuclear. He scored 22 points on 8-for-8 shooting in the third quarter, eventually finishing with 30 points on 12-for-14 shooting in the second half. While Minnesota shot horribly from the floor in the second half (29.5%), Murray’s performance was the catalyst in the comeback win.

In the Phoenix game, Trae Young’s exclusion from the initial list of Eastern Conference All-Stars* was the main topic of conversation in the buildup — and Young responded in the best possible manner. For 48 minutes, he was the best player on the floor in a game featuring both Devin Booker (4-time All-Star) and Kevin Durant (14-time All-Star), going 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, and even showing off his defensive chops in racking up three steals, and picking the pockets of both Booker and Durant in this one.

*Young was later added as an injury replacement

While Young didn’t post any season-highs in this one, I thought this was the best game he played all year. He was lethal both as a scorer (32 points on 12-for-17 shooting) and a passer (15 assists), was engaged on the defensive end, resulting in a statement victory for both him and his team.

Murray’s second half performance in the Hawks’ comeback win against Minnesota was extremely impressive. Against Phoenix, Young dominated the game from start to finish, upending a Suns’ team that had rattled off nine wins in their previous 11 contests while proving his status as an All-Star.

It was close, but Young wins this award for his showing against the Suns.

Winner: Nominee #3 - Trae Young | 32 points (12/17, 7/11 from Three), 15 assists, 3 steals vs. Phoenix (2/2/24)

The Most Improved Player Award

Nominee #1: De’Andre Hunter

Nominee #2: Jalen Johnson

Nominee #3: Onyeka Okongwu

I mentioned earlier that the majority of these awards are subjective, and while ‘Most Improved’ might seem like another subjective category, it really isn’t in this case.

Onyeka Okongwu gets a nomination for a few reasons, as he cut down his turnover and foul rate while making significant strides as a perimeter shooter and as a dribble hand-off threat. De’Andre Hunter improved as a three-point shooter, rim finisher, and as an off the dribble passer.

However at the end of the day, this award was always going to one player: Jalen Johnson.

Johnson’s improvement from last season to this season has been one of the most remarkable storylines in the NBA this season. He went from playing just 15 minutes per-game in a bench-role last season to nearly 34 minutes per-game as a starter this season, and embraced this increase in playing-time with aplomb - improving his True Shooting % from 55.4% last season to 58.4% this season*, and upping his Assist % from 10.4% last season to 15.4% this season.

*despite taking over two more shots per-36 minutes

Check out the table below to see the difference between Johnson’s traditional box score statistics from last year, to his numbers’ from this year. This award was a no-brainer.

#’s from basketballreference.com

When thinking about Johnson’s ceiling, it’s important to remember that he is still just 22 years old — far from a finished product on both ends of the floor (particularly on the defensive end).

If he continues on his current trajectory, the Hawks will be have to be thinking about Johnson as one of their franchise cornerstones sooner rather than later.

Winner: Nominee #2 - Jalen Johnson

The “Pleasant Surprise” Award*

Nominee #1: Kobe Bufkin

Nominee #2: Vit Krejci

Nominee #3: Garrison Mathews

This award commemorates a player who might not have had the biggest role this season, but nonetheless, managed to exceed expectations — a pleasant surprise, hence the name. Let’s go through the nominees one by one.

Despite making just 17 appearances all season, Kobe Bufkin gets a nomination for his rapid development since last Summer.

When I watched him in the 2023 Summer League, I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of his game. He was used as a point guard, a position he had never played full time before, and didn’t appear comfortable as the team’s lead decisionmaker, jacking up tough shot after tough shot. His defense was nothing to write home about.

Flash forward nine months, and Bufkin looks like a completely different player. He has flashed some nice playmaking ability out of the pick-and-roll at the NBA-level. And though his three-point stroke hasn’t completely translated, he shot 35.6% from deep (on over seven attempts per game) in 14 appearances with Atlanta’s G-League affiliate.

Additionally, Bufkin’s defense at the NBA level has been beyond impressive, as his steal percentage ranks in the 59th percentile amongst combo guards, and the Hawks have allowed just 109 points per 100 possessions with him in the game per cleaningtheglass.

While part of this number is a result of Bufkin going up against less experienced backups, and benefiting from some fortuitous shooting luck (opponents’ are shooting 5.1% worse from three when he is on the court*), rookies are rarely a positive on the defensive side of the ball — and I’ve loved what I’ve seen from Bufkin early on.

*per cleaningtheglass

Moving on to Vit Krejci; where do we even start. A free agent to start the season, the Hawks added him on a two-way at the end of December, and were forced to thrust him into the starting lineup in early March after a number of injuries to their wing rotation.

Krejci is a pass-first player by trade*, but he showed off an improved three-point stroke this season, canning 41.2% of his 68 three-point attempts. While his usage rate was the lowest on the team by far (9.8%), his presence on the court always seemed to grease the wheels for Atlanta’s offense as he is a fantastic connector on that end of the floor.

*see the Assist of the Year section

The numbers back this up too, as his offensive on/off impact (+8.2 points per 100 possessions) was the largest on the team in 2023-24, with Atlanta’s offense scoring 122.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, per cleaningtheglass.

On the defensive side of the ball, Krejci was, admittedly, a bit of a liability. Atlanta had no problem throwing him on opposing team’s starting wings, but just based off the eye test, it was clear that he has a ways to go before being viewed as even a neutral defender at the NBA level.

Though his defensive isolation numbers were actually not too bad*, Atlanta ceded 121 points per 100 possessions to their opponents with Krejci on the floor, negating much of the positive impact he made on the offensive end.

*allowing 0.95 points per possession when he is isolated against, 46th percentile, per nba.com/stats

Last but not least, Garrison Mathews gets a nomination for coming off of the best shooting season of his career. Mathews (aka. “Garry Bird”) cashed in on 44% of his triples this season (193 attempts) — a figure which ranks fourth in the NBA amongst players with over 150 attempts in 2023-24.

Prior to this season, Mathews 3P% had declined in each year that he had been in the NBA, and it’s not hyperbole to suggest that his shooting performance this season might have revitalized his NBA career.

Looking at Mathews’ on/off impact, I found it curious that in spite of his red hot three-point shooting, he’s had a negative impact on the team’s offense this season, with Atlanta’s offensive rating declining by 2.6 points per 100 possessions with him in the game, scoring 115.8 points per 100 possessions* per cleaningtheglass.

*equivalent to about the 15th ranked offense in the NBA

While Atlanta is taking more threes, and shooting better from the field in these minutes, their offensive rebounding percentage falls off a cliff, resulting in significantly fewer putback attempts for the team*, hurting the overall offense.

*On the season, Atlanta ranks 5th in OREB%, 5th in points and 4th in second-chance points per game, a significantly underrated part of their offense

It would, of course, be foolish to pin this dropoff in offensive rebounding entirely on Mathews, as he is hardly relied upon for his rebounding talent when he is in the game (0.3 offensive rebounds per-game for his career), however I do think that the uptick in three-point frequency with Mathews in the game is at least partially related to the decline on the offensive glass.

Nevertheless, Mathews deserves a spot on this list for his personal improvement from beyond the three-point arc.

When it comes to selecting a winner, I wish I could give this award to all three of these players as they have all been fantastic in their respective roles this season.

Ultimately though, I went with the rookie, Kobe Bufkin, for the simple reason that his performance on both ends of the floor blew my personal expectations for him out of the water. Despite meager per game averages of 4.8 points (42.4% True Shooting), 1.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists, watching him play it’s apparent how much he’s grown as a primary offensive initiator and how impressive he is on the defensive side of the ball.

Plays like the ones above are just the tip of the iceberg for Bufkin. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us in the future.

Winner: Nominee #1 - Kobe Bufkin

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