Hawks finally picked a direction (and it couldn’t be working out better)

Jonathan Kuminga (0) reacts after making a three point shot against the Washington Wizards during the first half at State Farm Arena | Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesWithin a year of taking control of the Atlanta Hawks’ front office, Onsi Saleh has already solved the team’s biggest problem: its lack of a cohesive identity.

With Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Kristaps Porzingis forming a powerful trio on paper, the team was ostensibly looking to compete in the playoffs this season. While saying Atlanta had serious title hopes would be a stretch, I thought they could be a dark horse contender with a little luck in an injury-riddled Eastern Conference.

But this was a mirage in a desert littered with…