The Denver Nuggets captured their first ever NBA championship last night with a 94-89 win over the Miami Heat in game five of the NBA Finals, giving them the series 4-1.
For fans of a team that's not the Nuggets, the question immediately asked after the finals conclude is usually "What does my team need to do to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy next year?"
The Atlanta Hawks are included in that group of optimists, with this team having never gotten any further than the Eastern Conference finals only twice. However, they are only two seasons removed from their most recent appearance. And despite finishing in the play-in round the last two seasons, there's a renewed sense of hope with Quin Snyder and a focused and determined Trae Young coming into the 2023-24 season.
What will it take for the Hawks to get to that peak reached by the Nuggets this season? Looking at recent champions, Steak and Sandra on this morning's Steakhouse came to this conclusion - you need an iconic superstar. Titles are won by those types of players. "Iconic superstars is how you win titles, i.e. Lebron James, Steph Curry, Jokic, Giannis."
When it comes to the Atlanta Hawks, Steak asked this question - "where is the iconic superstar?" It's not that Trae isn't an elite player. It's not that he can't be a superstar among the league's best players, but guys like Kawhi, Steph, Lebron, Giannis, and Jokic were called "the world's best player" after winning titles.
