Two seasons ago, the Hawks earned a pair of stirring Play-In Tournament wins over Charlotte and Cleveland to advance to a first-round series against the top-seeded Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
The Heat won that series in five games, in part because the Hawks sustained some injuries to the frontcourt, but also in part because they focused an undue amount of defensive attention on Trae Young. The Heat constantly guarded Trae with one player while a pair of others crept in from the sides to wall off Trae's angle of attack.
While the loss may have been a frustrating one, at least it showed what the Hawks needed going forward: a second-side playmaker, someone who could balance the offense while also running it when Trae rested.
Enter Dejounte Murray.
After the Hawks acquired the 26-year-old guard in an offseason trade with the Spurs, he came to Atlanta and had one of his best seasons, setting career highs in field-goal percentage and free-throw percentage, while also connecting from deep on a career-best 133 threes.
In the process, Trae and Dejounte became just the second set of NBA teammates ever to average 20+ points and 6+ assists per game while playing 70 or more games, joining Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the 1991-92 Chicago Bulls.
Dejounte also helped the Hawks get to the postseason for a third consecutive season.
"When the trade happened," Murray said, "that was a goal of mine: to get to the postseason and experience it."
Once again, the path to the postseason took the Hawks to Miami to face the same team that bested them in the playoffs the season before (and the team that currently sits one game from advancing to the NBA Finals in the East). His 18 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds figured prominently in the Play-In win, and his presence diversified the offense right from the outset in the first quarter.
When Trae drove and the Heat defense collapsed to bracket him with three bodies, Dejounte sat ready as a dual threat shoot-or-drive option waiting on the wing. Here, he took Trae's pass and hit a three.
Moments later, Dejounte ran the transition offense from the middle of the floor, allowing Trae to 1) attack before the defense was set and 2) attack from the side where fewer players could come over to help on defense.
In the same first-quarter stint, the bracketing came back once again – this time with four bodies (!) – and just like the first time, Trae found Dejounte in the corner for a successful three.
And the offense kept humming when Trae rested, as Dejounte used the point guard skills that he developed in San Antonio to run the show.
Overall, Dejounte did a great job adjusting to a new role, and as he took care to point out, it was his second such change in two seasons.
"I pride myself in playing the right way," Murray said. "It was a big challenge after having the ball in my hands in San Antonio. (It was kept) quiet really, but that was my first year being a point guard. Before that it was similar to here. Last year was the year where Coach Pop was like, 'We're going to put the ball in your hands and see what you can do.' I feel like I took that challenge, and I did well. Obviously, coming to Atlanta was another challenge. But that's the kind of person I am. I want all challenges. I don't want nothing easy. Adversity is what really builds you."
After one season with Trae and two months under new Head Coach Quin Snyder, Dejounte said that he wants the developing chemistry to keep growing.
"You take the good, the bad – and just the journey – and you enjoy it." he said. "A great story doesn't happen overnight. Success doesn't happen overnight. There are a lot of downs and a lot of days that you have to grind it out and figure it out, you know? It takes getting to know each other off the floor and having a bunch of practice time together. You don't just go out and play in the games and have chemistry. It starts off the floor in practices, and then it translates to the games."
The path to being a great winning team is a long one, but Dejounte sees the vision.
"We're on the right road to that, and I definitely see that the best days are ahead."