Kenny Smith draws a striking parallel between the rising Atlanta Hawks and the blueprint of the reigning NBA champion, the OKC Thunder.
The Atlanta Hawks are starting to gain national media attention across the NBA landscape. Especially after their 107-106 Game Two victory over the New York Knicks.
With a strong core of veteran players that understand their roles and know how to play team basketball, Atlanta is starting to draw high praise in the comparison game.
On ESPN's daily morning sports show, 'First Take', Kenny 'The Jet' Smith recently made an appearance, and believes this current Hawks team reminds him of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder won the NBA finals in 2025.
"Maybe we're seeing Oklahoma City 2.0, the start of that in the Atlanta Hawks."
"2-3 years ago, when OKC was in this position, and they were losing games. They lost in the playoffs, and then became a championship contender, and we were looking at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander going man, and now maybe we're looking at [Jalen] Johnson as the next guy."
Jalen Johnson is looking to explode offensively for the first time in this series on Thursday night as the series has shifted to State Farm Arena.
However, Kenny Smith might have a point because the Hawks have two first-round draft picks in the upcoming NBA draft, and one of those should be of the lottery variety.
It's the same way that the Thunder was built. OKC GM Sam Presti had a load of first-round picks, and the team centered around SGA's development, with several role players around him. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Dyson Daniels surrounding Jalen Johnson, this Hawks team should only get better, and as currently constructed, should be a threat in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
Keep an eye out for Jalen Johnson in games three and four, and if the Hawks want to upset the Knicks in this series, Johnson's playmaking ability will be a key factor in deciding the outcome.
In the first two games of this series, Johnson has combined for 40 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists. He's made 3 of 10 3-pointer attempts, and is shooting 46% on 31 field goal attempts (14-for-31).