EVERYTHING just changed for the Hawks...

Hawks fans ESPN writer Kevin Pelton has given the Atlanta Hawks the grade of an A as far as what they did in this year's NBA draft and I'm telling you right now everything just changed for the Atlanta Hawks and I'm gonna run down how we got here and what the Atlanta Hawks have basically mapped out what they plan on doing going forward in the future. Yes the Atlanta Hawks have made some major moves leading up to what has gone on in the draft this year and yes coming into next season there's going to be some lofty expectations for these Atlanta Hawks but for right now I have to say it feels good to be recognized in a more positive light by most writers and especially amongst different NBA fans so for that this is awesome definitely want to stop really quickly and just bring in the show what's going on everybody my name is Walter Pollard and this is Atlanta Hawks Digest definitely want to thank everybody who has definitely been watching the content viewing all of our stories viewing all of the content of course recently things have just gone crazy mainly because of what we've been witnessing due to the draft and what's been going on but definitely the 68.3 percent of you that have not subscribed just yet trust me there's still time we ain't going nowhere there's no deadline so definitely keep clicking and keep looking at all of our content and definitely also too I said I wanted this prior to the beginning of the season 2,000 subscribers who knew less than a month later literally this was like I want to say a week or two ago I had asked I was like hey we're down at like 1,700 people and we definitely want to get some more viewers on our on our page we want to get some more people subscribe keep hitting the like share subscribe button you guys have shown up and shown out man another round of applause you guys we appreciate all of that and definitely doing part two the fact that things have definitely gotten hot for the Atlanta Hawks things have definitely moved in a I want to say an upward tick for the Atlanta Hawks I mean of course it's no secret the Atlanta Hawks chose Asa Newell at the number 23 pick of the NBA draft which was a big deal but I think the bigger deal was of course what the Atlanta Hawks were able to get in return for what they had given up all that other jazz and we'll slowly not slowly but we'll definitely get through all of this information because it is a big big big big deal so let's go ahead and just jump right into this okay so the Atlanta Hawks like I said they earned the grade of an A from Kelton Payton oh my goodness anyway what's this gentleman's name really quickly I'll show it to you yeah Kelvin Pelton and I'll get back to him and I'll explain to you even more but Kevin Pelton who is a writer for ESPN basically gave the Atlanta Hawks an A for what they were doing in this year's draft I know he had given a lot of other teams grades or whatnot but he specifically gave the Atlanta Hawks an A because of what had happened and then I that I feel but it's you guys can see it as well and let me know in the comments what you feel if you would grade the Atlanta Hawks with the exact same grade but getting back to the subject I feel as though this was in the pudding going even further back beyond just the draft we can go back as far as April 21st you know when the Atlanta Hawks had fired general manager Landry Fields after a 40 and 42 record and an embarrassing play-in tournament elimination you dig what I'm saying from the entire state of Florida you know that was embarrassing so of course with all of that going on you know it's good that the Atlanta Hawks organization felt as though it was definitely time to move in another direction now granted we still credit Landry Fields for landing the number one draft pick in last year's draft and of course acquiring Zachary Shachet so that was something that was definitely beneficial beneficial to the Hawks organization but then we fast forward to June 9th you know the Hawks Bryson Graham and Peter Dinwiddie of course were hired to their prospective positions in the front office Bryson Graham who is of course the vice president of basketball operations Peter Dinwiddie who of course is also the vice president of strategy and analytics let's not forget that Unsize Saleh was selected as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks as well now there's still possible plans of bringing in a president of basketball operations but for right now this is where it sits at so we can go even further back you dig what I'm saying as far as what the Hawks have been planning to do from the get-go once that playing tournament was embarrassing they said it's time to go now wrapping this around you go to what the day before draft day June 24th the Atlanta Hawks they received Christophe Prazingis and the three-team trade between the Atlanta Hawks uh the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics the Atlanta Hawks I want to say they gave up the number 22 pick to uh the Brooklyn Nets of course we got Christophe Prazingis I think we gave away Terrence Mann and um George Niang I'm not sure to the specific teams they went to I know you guys know but uh again that was something that had happened prior to the draft then you fast forward you dig what I'm saying to to draft night you know you you fast forward over the draft night you know again that's Asa Newell uh shaking hands with our commissioner so again major major big big step up for the Atlanta Hawks but again uh the Hawks they turn around uh with 13th pick again they go ahead and they uh trade back so get this the Hawks trade back uh their 13th pick they traded with the New Orleans Pelicans the Pelicans of course give us their stuff and I don't even have to go through all of the minutiae with what happened in the draft ultimately we can even tie this into the fact that you got Asa Newell who was a projected 13th uh 13th pick yeah he was projected to be the 13th pick so the Hawks didn't have to do anything they didn't have to move back they didn't have to do anything as a matter of fact going into the draft they could they they didn't have to get Prazingis they could have just held on to the 13th the 22nd pick and kept doing what they were going to do draft whomever but instead the Atlanta Hawks they made magic uh again trading away that the 22nd pick and um you know and again getting Christophe Prazingis now with the 13th pick again Kevin Pelton basically exclaimed to us he said it almost didn't matter whom the Hawks took after getting an unprotected 2026 first round draft pick and this is something uh and the better of those are from the Milwaukee and the New Orleans Pelicans so via the Pelicans to move down 10 spots I might have made that trade straight up without getting the number 23 pick all the better that the Atlanta Hawks took a prospect that was ranked in his projection the number 13th pick so you get Asa Newell at the number 13th pick and yet you turn it into a 2026 unprotected pick so with that unprotected 2026 pick the Atlanta Hawks can possibly get a top four pick why do you might ask mainly because again both the Pelicans and the Milwaukee Bucks are looked at to possibly have some very poor seasons missing out on the playoffs okay not even play in tournament worthy okay then you couple that with Giannis Antetokounmpo possibly leaving at the start of today's free agency so free agency is kicking up then you want to add into the simple fact that what three teams are dealing with their with dealing with injuries to their superstars Tyrese Halliburton with the patient is going to be out for an entire season uh Dame Lillard is going to be out for an entire season which is with the Milwaukee Bucks and then you got Jason Tatum who is going to be out for an entire season this would be an incredible time for the Atlanta Hawks to capitalize off of what's been happening in the NBA obviously you see that there is a trend that's going on that unfortunately there's a lot of players that are injured and the Atlanta Hawks they're just still getting stronger day by day by day by day now it's no sure I guess guarantee that Asa Newell will crack the the rotation or whatnot but you got to think of it like this too this was an extremely strong draft class this was an extremely strong draft class uh and the Atlanta Hawks to make the moves that they made getting a 2026 unprotected first round pick as well as Asa Newell who also I might add played at Mount Verde Academy with all the guys I mean Cooper he played with Cooper Flagg he played with Derek Queen he played with Liam McNeely so I mean come on and this is also a class that ranks up from Mount Verde back in 2020 these guys who had of course gone into the NBA we're talking Cade Cunningham, Scotty Barnes, Moses Moody and Daron Sharp so again that is something to pay attention to because if this guy keeps that kind of company obviously we see that uh the Atlanta Hawks may have made a major steal uh in this year's draft and again everything just changed for the Atlanta Hawks again today at six o'clock free agency starts for majority of the NBA again Giannis Antetokounmpo has talked about whether or not he's going to be in Milwaukee or not of course rumors have circulated around but again there's no certainty that he will stay in Milwaukee so there's a chance that he could be leaving pay attention to Sean's because we know that this is a prime opportunity for the Atlanta Hawks to make their move and possibly get back to where they were from 2021. I'm excited for what's about to go down with the Atlanta Hawks you should My name is Walter Pollard. This is Atlanta Hawks Digest and I am signing out. Peace.