The Atlanta Hawks have had a hot-and-cold start to the NBA season. Through the first 28 games of the year, the Hawks sit at .500 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. In that span, the team has blown numerous double-digit leads, has been largely dominated in the fourth quarters of games, and has been altogether stale at times while being plagued by a lack of shooting.
Following their disastrous loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last night -- due in large part to a swath of injuries to key starters -- Hawks general manager Landry Fields joined the Morning Show to discuss the team's early season results, and why he firmly believes that the best is still yet to come.
Fields essentially explained to the Morning Show that Trae Young and Dejounte Murray are still feeling each other out. He's got a good point, too, as the duo has only logged 811 minutes together this season. That's not nearly enough time for players who have always been "the guy" to learn how to play alongside another of his caliber. It certainly doesn't help matters that Dejounte Murray hasn't been available as of late due to an ankle injury.
But Fields was adamant that this is still a work-in-progress:
"I resonate with fans. I certainly could empathize with [wanting it to be a finished product already]," Fields told the Morning Show. "But trying to maintain, not just the short-sighted view, but wanting to make sure that you're looking at the long-term and understanding like these things do take time. I think a few of us have been quoted in the media saying it will take time because these guys are doing something totally new and they never necessarily played with another counterpart like each other."
Fields is confident that the duo will figure it out on the floor the more they play with one another, and that it will begin to show up in the win column.
"So [Trae Young and Dejounte Murray] will continue to chip away at it and recalibrate where necessary," he said. "Those guys are competitors, they'll figure it out."
