Hawks soared above expectations last season. Their reward? Getting their opponents' best shot from the jump

It's on the Hawks (5-9) to step their play up with teams showing way more attention to detail in looking to derail Atlanta's hopes of building upon last season's unexpectedly strong finish.

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ATLANTA -- Nate McMillan has been around the NBA long enough as a player and coach to understand that this season would be unlike any other for his talented but uber-young Atlanta Hawks team.

Last season, they were a developing team that was expected to take its share of lumps and struggles before eventually competing as a playoff participant, like maybe this year.

All-Star guard Trae Young, emerging star John Collins and a host of seemingly overachieving Atlanta players have arrived sooner than expected, defying the odds of many last season by advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the 2014-2015 season.

It was a dreamy kind of season, one that they won’t forget about anytime soon.

But that unexpected success was a trigger for the rest of the league, a league that views the Hawks now as a team that’s more than just another quality team in the NBA.

Atlanta returned its core group from last season, doubling down on continuity being instrumental to their continued growth and success.

But wins early on have been hard to come by as the Hawks are still adjusting to being the hunted and not so much the hunter.

They took a step in the right direction on Sunday in defeating the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, 120-100.

McMillan acknowledged his players are still adjusting to the increase in attention being paid by opponents.

“That’s something that these guys are going through for the first time, being a team that other opponents respect,” McMillan said.

Coming off the kind of season the Hawks had with so many guys back, Young said he’s not surprised at the level of focus opponents have shown him and the Hawks.

“That was to be expected but at the same time, we have to go out and play at a high level and understand that,” Young said. “We have to approach every game serious and make sure we find a way to win.”

Collins had a similar take on the Hawks’ transition from hunter to being among the hunted.

“I feel like (teams) are just more ready for us, come out aggressively, than they were a couple years ago,” Collins said.

That would explain to some extent the slow start to the season for Atlanta, with Sunday’s win over the Bucks snapping a six-game losing streak.

Atlanta has also been hampered by a rigorous role schedule that has included nine of their first 14 games on the road.

Home or away, the Hawks have little choice if they want to build on last season’s success, than to adjust to be among the hunted teams in the league.

“It’s very similar to talking about postseason play,” McMillan said. “You can tell them how physical it’s going to be; how important every possession is. But until you go through it and experience that, they really won’t know.”