Hawks are playing for more than the postseason

Atlanta's new coach wants to push them to the playoffs. He also wants to decide who will be on next year's team.

Quin Snyder took over the Hawks with just 21 games remaining in the 2022-23 season. That's very rare in the NBA, particularly when it's not an assistant coach getting promoted.

It's possible that Snyder simply wanted to lock in the reportedly lucrative five-year contract, but sources believe Snyder's urgency stemmed from the dysfunction in Atlanta's locker room. And perhaps the front office as well.

For the players, everything begins and ends with All-Star Trae Young, who has clashed with both of his previous head coaches, Lloyd Pierce and Nate McMillan, who the Hawks fired on Feb. 21. But it's not just the coaches, according to Bill Reiter of CBS.

Young is "not beloved," Reiter writes. "There's a strong view that Young fails to lead, to understand or care to understand what is required of him. As a result, the team will never achieve what it should until that reality is fixed."

The two-time All-Star is 10th in the league in scoring with 27.1 points per game, but on 42.7 percent shooting, easily the worst field goal percentage among the top 20 scorers. He averages 10.1 assists, but with 4.1 turnovers, and he's among the worst defenders in the league.

But beyond Young's rough shooting year, there are concerns about the ever-elusive "vibe." Specifically, it stinks. 

Reiter writes, "The team's vibe has been described by various sources as "broken," "ugly" and "total s---."

Snyder's late-season arrival gives him a chance to repair that vibe. Or, to decide it's unsalvageable. John Collins has been a trade candidate for years. Clint Capela has two years left on his deal, but the Hawks have 2020 lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu in the wings. Dejounte Murray is an unrestricted free agent next summer, and thanks to De'Andre Hunter's extension, the team is about to get expensive.

Still, the biggest question surrounds Young. It's incumbent on Snyder to figure out if Young really can embrace leadership and Snyder's new team culture. If not, Atlanta might do the unthinkable and shop their star guard.

The other issue comes with the Hawks' tumultuous front office. The owner's 27-year-old son, Nick Ressler, has taken on a great deal of power. Assistant GM Kyle Korver is close to Snyder from his time in Utah, but it's never a bad idea to start schmoozing with your billionaire boss and his kid as early as possible.

The Hawks are still hoping to finish strong and get into the playoffs. For some players, it'll also determine whether they're in a Hawks uniform next year.