For all the changes the Hawks have undergone – since 2008, they’ve had four general managers, three head coaches and two sets of ownership – this has been a fairly stable team. That’s the reason they’ve made the playoffs each of those nine seasons; it’s also a reason they haven’t gone further.
The first Core Four – Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Marvin Williams – was assembled by GM Billy Knight and kept intact by Rick Sund. It lasted from 2007 through 2012 until being broken by Danny Ferry. The second Core Four – Horford, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver and Paul Millsap – stood for three seasons but stands no more.