By: TJ Hartnett

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

It was ugly. We can say that without hesitation. The Atlanta Hawks had an ugly season – but not one without lessons learned.

The team is now clearly leaning into a rebuilding stage, which means there are better days ahead, but they may be a bit further ahead than fans would like.

Still, there were positives from the season; like the emergence of John Collins, who at the age of 20 and in his first season after being drafted 19^th in 2017 immediately made an impact on the Hawks.

He wasn’t seen as an immediate starter and indeed began the year on the bench but his quality play forced the Hawks’ hand (wing?) and put up numbers that surpassed the top of his draft class (looking at you, Lonzo Ball). He’s young but he’s already proven to be ready to contribute in a big way.

That being said, the Hawks were a pretty terrible offensive team this past season, coming in at 25^th in points per game. All but one player on the team shot for an average of less than 15 points per game, something that needs to change as quickly as possible – possibly in the draft, which we’ll get to.

Schroder is the only player on the Hawks that can score the ball consistently. He averaged 19.4 points per game in 67 games this season. However, it is obvious that he is not a future superstar and number-one option for an NBA team. He would complement a superstar very well, but he cannot carry a franchise on his own.

He is, however, not the LeBron of Atlanta. He’s a good player, but his talents should be used to supplement someone who can be counted on as the number one go-to guy on the court. It doesn’t have to be a big-name star.

The Hawks succeeded in a big way without one just a few short years ago but they need someone in the role of shot maker.

That guy exists someone in the draft, the Hawks just need to be savvy enough to find him and snatch him up.

Now we look ahead to the offseason, which brings with it plenty of intrigue and promise. With three first-round picks in the draft and a fourth waiting at the top of the second round, there is a very good chance (barring some pick-trading) that the Atlanta roster will look mightily different come the start of next season later this year.

There are returning players who may serve as the foundation for these picks to build around: Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Taruean Prince and Collins.

Bazmore will look to return to the court healthy after being shut down in March.

There also might be potential changes on the sidelines, as the Hawks have granted head coach Mike Budenholzer permission to interview with the Milwaukee Bucks for their open coaching position. He could be potentially be competing for the job with Doc Rivers, so nothing is certain at this point despite his impressive resume.

In addition to the four top-level picks coming their way, the Hawks also have some financial freedom this offseason. They only have $56 million in guaranteed dollars on the books for 2018-2019, not including Dewayne Dedmon’s player option, among others.

After a tough season, the Hawks need changes fast and changes they are going to get.

This is only the beginning of the rebuild and while that signals lean times ahead, it also means lots to look forward to in Atlanta.