Before leading his young Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs and finishing as a Coach of the Year finalist, Kenny Atkinson’s barometer for success was membership to a 60-win Atlanta Hawks team. From 2012-to-2016, Atkinson played a pivotal role as the lead assistant to Head Coach Mike Budenholzer.
Led by its All-Star frontcourt of Al Horford and Paul Millsap, the Hawks bulldozed their way to the 2015 Eastern Conference Finals before eventually losing to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Some time has passed and all four of Atkinson, Budenholzer, Millsap, and Horford have fled to greener pastures.