Former Overseas Pro Compares Atlanta Hawks to Allen Iverson Sixers

Do the Hawks have a resemblance to the old 76ers team?

Feb 9, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) is defended by Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Back in the 2000s, the Philadelphia 76ers were led by an undersized guard in Allen Iverson. Years later, the team they former around the Hall of Fame guard is drawing comparisons to a current team's roster makeup.

After taking down the New York Knicks in the quarterfinals, the Atlanta Hawks have punched their ticket to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup semifinals. As they get closer to potentially winning the in-season tournament, one former pro shared his thoughts on the new-look squad.

For years now, the Hawks have been building their team around Trae Young. They've had some success, most notably reaching the conference finals in 2021. However, the Hawks made a big change to their roster over the summer, when they traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.

These days, the Hawks have surrounded their undersized guard with a lot of length and impactful defenders. Earlier this week, Rashad Phillips compared this blueprint to what the Sixers did with Iverson in the 2000s. He even compared defensive standout Dyson Daniels to Eric Snow.

The Atlanta Hawks have abandoned their initial Golden State blueprint and replaced it with the 2001 Allen Iverson lead 76ers template. Surrounding Trae with die hard defenders and timely scorers. Iverson was surrounded by versatile defender Eric Snow ala Dyson Daniels. #Yoda pic.twitter.com/jvILE44rO8

— Rashad Phillips (@RP3natural) December 12, 2024

Phillips tried to enter the NBA ranks in 2001, but ended up going undrafted after four years in college. From there, he went on to play professionally overseas for a decade from 2001 to 2010.

This new iteration of the roster has yielded positive dividends so far for the Hawks. Along with their success in the NBA Cup, they are in seventh place in the East with a 14-12 record.

These squads draw some resemblances with one another, mainly because they have a small guard at the center of everything. Young is far different kind of player than Iverson, but is a one-man offense in his own right. This season, the Hawks star is averaging 21.0 PPG and a league-leading 12.2 PPG.

Iverson was able to secure an MVP trophy and lead the Sixers to the finals in his time. Only time will tell how far Young can take the new-look Hawks this season and beyond.