The Hawks are still carrying last spring with them, and they aren’t pretending otherwise.
Atlanta blew a 2-1 lead to the Knicks in the first round, then watched the series spiral into a three-game collapse that ended with a 51-point loss at home in Game 6. New York went on to lose just once more before winning the championship, which only sharpened the sting for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson described it at the time as a “sick feeling,” and he said the group would turn it into fuel.
That message didn’t fade over the summer. President of basketball operations Onsi Saleh said the defeat stayed in the room for months and helped push the team’s work behind the scenes.
“There was a motivation for a lot of our guys, like Jalen, Dyson, Nickeil, Onyeka,” Saleh said. “Those guys got a lot better this summer in a lot of ways.”
Atlanta’s second half offered some proof. The Hawks went 20-6 after the All-Star break and, in the process, made Johnson look like the new face of the franchise after the Trae Young trade.
But the broader Eastern Conference got tougher while Atlanta leaned mostly on its own internal growth, with several rivals adding established stars. Now the Hawks get 82 games to show that the embarrassment actually moved them forward.
Houston’s story is different, but the pressure point is similar.
The Rockets already committed big money to Amen Thompson, handing him a five-year, $208 million extension earlier this month after he put up 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals last season. That kind of deal says the organization sees him as a cornerstone. What comes next is the part that turns a rising player into a true face of the franchise.
Thompson has not made an All-Star team yet, but Blake Silverman of Sports Illustrated pointed to a playoff breakthrough as the kind of stage that can change the conversation.
“If the Rockets get out of the first round and make the Thunder or the Spurs sweat, there will be no doubt that Thompson is Houston’s franchise player post-Durant and a true NBA star,” Silverman wrote.
That’s the bar, even if Thompson still has clear work to do as a shooter. He’s a career 21.9 percent three-point shooter, and Kevin Durant remains Houston’s top offensive option.
Thompson does not need to become Stephen Curry. He just needs enough of a jumper that defenders can’t happily ignore him.
Put even a respectable shot next to his size, athleticism, playmaking and defense, and the rest starts to sort itself out.
Cleveland, meanwhile, has one roster issue that still looks open.
The Cavaliers addressed their wing need by adding Peyton Watson, but the backup point guard spot is less settled after the trade of Dennis Schröder. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will handle the biggest possessions, yet the team could still use another veteran ballhandler behind them.
Craig Porter Jr. may get the first crack at the job. Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor are also in the mix as younger options, though neither should be expected to immediately replace everything Schröder brought.
Davion Moore of Cavs On SI floated a few veteran names as possibilities, including Gabe Vincent, Killian Hayes and Victor Oladipo. Those are sensible fits on paper, but there’s no indication Cleveland is actively chasing any of them.
Hayes has familiarity with the organization after spending time with the Cleveland Charge, where he averaged 23.1 points and 8.3 assists. Oladipo is trying to make another NBA comeback, and Vincent would bring playoff experience.
For now, the Cavs can head into camp with what they have and see whether Porter, Thomas or Proctor claims the job. If none of them does, veteran guards usually remain out there. So that’s one question worth keeping an eye on once the preseason starts to sort things out.
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