UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Atlanta Hawks - Good if it Goes
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NBA Team Preview: Atlanta Hawks

Offseason:

Draft Picks: 12. SF. Taurean Prince, 21. SG. DeAndre’ Bembry

Key Acquisitions: C. Dwight Howard, PG. Jarrett Jack

Key Losses: C. Al Horford, PG. Jeff Teague

 

Player Profiles

Projected Lineup

PG. Dennis Schroder: 6’1, 172

  • Long, attacking PG with a lot of speed and quickness.
  • Utilizes his speed to put constant pressure on defenses in transition and in the PnR. Has good start stop quickness and can reject screens and turn the other corner if you over play 1 side. Already a pretty good distributor.
  • Average defender that shows flashes of potential to be more.

SG. Kent Bazemore: 6’5, 201

  • Lefty 2 way wing with an attacking offensive game.
  • At his best off the ball where he does great work as a slasher and knocks down 3s.
  • Tough gritty defender that can defend multiple positions along the perimeter.

SF. Kyle Korver: 6’7, 212

  • Elite 3 point specialist that’s 1 of the best of his era at shooting the basketball.
  • This dude is such a lights out shooter that 39.8% from 3 last year was considered a down year. He can shoot spotting up, on the move coming hard off screens or even off the dribble in certain situations.
  • Is able to serve as a neutral defender that doesn’t hurt his team too much as long as he’s not on a great offensive player because of his ability to execute the gameplan and play smart on defense.

PF. Paul Millsap: 6’8, 246

  • All-star all-around front court player that can play 3 positions and plays at a high level on both ends.
  • Does a little of everything on offense. He can handle the ball and make plays for others, he can hit jump shots out to 3 point range, he’s good at putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket, and he can post up and score with his back to the basket.
  • Absolute elite defender that played at about as high of level as any player in the league last year not named Kawhi. He is exceptional at defending PnR, he creates turnovers and blocks shots at an unbelievably high level for a 6’8 guy.

C. Dwight Howard: 6’11, 265

  • Declining former star center who’s trying to adjust to playing without elite athleticism.
  • Still a very effective offensive player when utilized as a PnR big. 1 of the best at finishing around the rim and still a lob threat. However, his days of commanding post touches on the block are a thing of the past. He’s actually gotten worse as a post scorer as he’s gotten older.
  • Once legendary defensive player who is now a very good defender. Still has enough mobility to be effective in today’s game and is still a good rim protector and rebounder.

 

Bench

PG. Jarrett Jack: 6’3, 200

  • Declining veteran PG who’s looking to bounce back from an ACL injury.
  • At his best he’s a mid-range sniper capable of coming off ball screens and pulling up from just about anywhere inside the arc and drilling shots.
  • Kind of a tweener defensively, he’s always had more success guarding SGs than PGs because he doesn’t have good lateral quickness but his lack of size can also be an issue defending wings.

SG. Thabo Sefolosha: 6’7, 220

  • Veteran wing who’s still playing at a very high level on defense.
  • His 3 point shot comes and goes and he’s not asked to do much on offense but he proved that when he is called upon to do something he could especially inside the arc. It was a very small amount of shots but he was quite effective shooting from mid-range, close range, and at the rim.
  • Elite defensive player that shuts people down. Has great size for his position and despite not being the most athletic guy he can stick to his man like glue. His on-ball defensive technique is very good and he’s always alert off the ball.

PF. Mike Scott: 6’8, 237

  • Very productive offensive combo forward
  • Brings value at both forward spots because of his shooting but most valuable at PF. As a 4 he can add more spacing by taking a defender out the paint or thrive in the pick n pop game.
  • Tweener defensively that struggles to defend at either forward spot.

C. Mike Muscala: 6’11, 240

  • High energy big man that cleans the offensive glass and gets up and down the floor quickly.
  • Offensively he gets his points as a roll guy that’s a threat to score on catch or lob. Not a great shooter but respectable for his size. Made over 30% of his 3s and can hit mid-range shots as well.
  • Quality defensive big man in large part due to his high motor and athletic ability. He can block shots and isn’t horrible away from the paint.  

SF. Taurean Prince: 6’8, 220

  • Rookie wing with a lot of upside and athleticism. Could be a 3 and D guy early with the potential to be more.
  • In college showed the ability to play with or without the ball. Was a good 3 point shooter at the college range and showed some scoring ability as well.
  • Has the potential to be an elite defender. Was a good defensive player in college and he has all the traits you look for when projected a wing defender to the NBA level.

C. Tiago Splitter: 6’11, 245

  • Hard working Brazilian center that excels at doing the dirty work and finding a way to have an impact on offense without scoring points.
  • His best traits on offense is his screen setting, passing and work on the offensive glass. He’s no post scorer and he’s not much of a shooter except for at the FT line.
  • Finesse defender for a guy his size but he can be effective. He’s not bad in PnR situations and he rotates and helps well. He’s not much of a shot blocker and leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive glass.

SG. Tim Hardaway Jr: 6’6, 205

  • Average sized wing that does most of his work off the ball.
  • Offensively he’s a respectable 3 point shooter and has shown he can shoot spotting up or on the move, though I trust him a lot less on the move.
  • Below average defensive player. He doesn’t have significant athletic ability and doesn’t move laterally that well.

PF. Kris Humphries: 6’9, 235

  • Undersized Pick n Pop big man that settles for too many 3’s
  • Lack of post game and size to battle inside most likely are the biggest factors as to why he wants to drift around and shoots 3s despite being a career 27% shooter from deep. He can make it occasionally but not enough to justify being allowed to shoot so many attempts. He is good from mid-range and that’s where he needs to do the most of his work from.
  • Average defender at best.

 

Breakdown

The Hawks are entering a new era with both Jeff Teague and Al Horford moving on. They’ll have a new look but should still be a good team. The starting 5 is plenty good enough to get things done. In the backcourt you have Dennis Schroder moving from the bench to the starting PG position to replace the long tenured Jeff Teague. He’s not as poised and polished as Teague but he’s more explosive and has more upside. Schroder is normally in constant attack mode and the Hawks will have to live with both the good and bad that brings. After really playing well last year Bazemore was rewarded with a contract extension and a full-time promotion. After coming off the bench most of last year he’ll be the team’s starting off guard this season. He’ll be the team’s best perimeter defender in the starting lineup and likely start games on the other team’s best perimeter scorer. He also brings a ton of value to the offensive end with his effective cutting and creative finishing ability to go along with his reliable 3 point shooting. In the front court two familiar faces remain at the forward spots. Shooting extraordinaire Kyle Korver will start at SF where he’ll help open things up by forcing teams to leave a defender glued to him at all times and even then it won’t matter because he’s very comfortable drilling 3s on the move even with a hand in his face. Paul Millsap returns as the team’s best player and starting PF and now the unequivocal leader of this team. He’s 1 of the best 2 way players in the game and I expect the tremendous play he’s displayed over the years to continue this season. Replacing Horford at the C spot is Atlanta native Dwight Howard who gets to play for his hometown team. Dwight isn’t overall a better player than Horford but he may be a better fit along the frontline with a smaller Millsap as he offers better rim protection and rebounding than Horford did.

The Atlanta bench is deep and filled with guys ready to contribute. None of them are great, but they can all do things well. If Jack is healthy he should be a nice change of pace from the high strung Schroder and be a guy that can come in and run the 2nd unit. Thabo will bring his elite defense off the bench and in crucial situations will be called on to come in during late game situations and guard elite scorers if needed. Scott brings good 3-point shooting and versatility and after that, coach Mike Budenhozer will have options. He’ll have to choose between the more experience and probably more reliable shooting of Hardaway Jr. over their top draft pick Taurean Prince who brings more athleticism, better defense and upside. The backup center position is also in question as they have two viable options. Splitter is an older veteran that brings more experience and can do more without ever getting a shot which makes him a coach’s dream. Meanwhile Muscala is a better shooter and brings a lot more athleticism to the floor. And then there’s their 21st overall selection DeAndre Bembry who will most likely start off in the D-league but may prove himself and end up being of service this year as well. The Hawks have a lot of options off the bench this year.

Expectations

My expectations for the Hawks is for them to return to the playoffs and at the very least win their 1st round series. As long as they don’t have to play the Cavs in round 2 they’ll even have a shot to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Hawks are one of the deeper teams in the NBA and are very well coached. Coach Budenhozer is going to properly integrate Dwight Howard in this offense which is a much better fit for his skill set than what the Rockets were doing with him. With Bazemore, Millsap and Korver spread out teams are going to have to pick their poison when trying to defend the Schroder/Howard PnR. I expect great offensive sets and plenty of ball movement. The Hawks are primed to be one of the league’s most efficient offenses this season. And if that wasn’t enough I expect them to be better defensively with Howard manning the middle. The Hawks have the 2nd-longest streak of consecutive playoff appearances behind the Spurs and you should expect that trend to continue this season.

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