Vegas has us at 40.5 wins

[azuresou1]

http://espn.go.com/espn/chalk/story/_/i ... e-best-585

Thoughts? I think 40.5 is insultingly low, and I'm planning on betting big money on the over.

[Hawk Eye]

http://espn.go.com/espn/chalk/story/_/id/11619674/las-vegas-westgate-superbook-sets-win-totals-nba-cleveland-cavaliers-league-best-585

Thoughts? I think 40.5 is insultingly low, and I'm planning on betting big money on the over.

I'ts insulting but definitely not surprising. Hawks never get any credit. We went through injury H3LL last season and still earned 38 wins. If we are healthy as a whole this season then I see us earning 48-52 wins.

[MaceCase]

I'd say a good way to make easy money.....

I still get uneasy over the owner situation creating some sort of Philly tank Armageddon at the deadline but cynicism aside, that's a good way to make easy money.

[ATLHawksfan21]

Crazy easy money. I will be on this one big.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using RealGM Forums mobile app

[simon24]

They'll win more than 40 games. However, the Southeast division they're in will definitely be the most competitive it has ever been

[Hawk Eye]

What's the actual process that I have to go through to bet on this Vegas thing? I want to win some easy money.

[TrueStoryGSW]

via BovadaLV.

[azuresou1]

BovadaLV is posting something different - odds that a team wins the championship. What we're looking for is O/U, which Bovada hasn't posted yet.

[HMFFL]

The over is the play here.
It's not like I expect us to win 50 games but we should be able to win close to 45.

[Jamaaliver]

The over is the play here.
It's not like I expect us to win 50 games but we should be able to win close to 45.

Agreed. if Millsap and Horford play 85% of our games each, I see us topping off somewhere around 44-46 wins.

Is this progress though?

In the Lockout Shortened 2012 season (a season without AL and before Ferry got here) we won 40 out of 66 games. This prorates out to 49 wins in a full season. Under the leadership of Rick Sund and Larry Drew.

Hell, in 2011 and 2013 under Larry Drew, we won 44 games.

44 wins seems like a reasonable expectation.

But is that enough to attract free agents next summer?
Is it enough to get Horford to consider an extension?
Is that enough to convince new owners NOT to blow it up?

[ATLHawksfan21]

The over is the play here.
It's not like I expect us to win 50 games but we should be able to win close to 45.

Agreed. if Millsap and Horford play 85% of our games each, I see us topping off somewhere around 44-46 wins.

Is this progress though?

In the Lockout Shortened 2012 season (a season without AL and before Ferry got here) we won 40 out of 66 games. This prorates out to 49 wins in a full season. Under the leadership of Rick Sund and Larry Drew.

Hell, in 2011 and 2013 under Larry Drew, we won 44 games.

44 wins seems like a reasonable expectation.

But is that enough to attract free agents next summer?
Is it enough to get Horford to consider an extension?
Is that enough to convince new owners NOT to blow it up?

44-46 wins would not be; however, I think your prediction is off by at least a handful. This team should be able to reach the 50 win mark if we stay mostly healthy throughout the year. We can hit 53 or 54 if we have a guy like Bazemore, Schroder or Payne play well above expectations

[Jamaaliver]

however, I think your prediction is off by at least a handful. This team should be able to reach the 50 win mark if we stay mostly healthy throughout the year. We can hit 53 or 54 if we have a guy like Bazemore, Schroder or Payne play well above expectations

I am, admittedly, skeptical of everything. Particularly my ATL sports teams which have broken my hearts dozens of times over the years.

But 50+ wins seems super optimistic. Hell, if we exceed Vegas' expectations by a dozen victories...every analyst in the state of Nevada deserves to be fired.

I'll add 50+ wins to the predictions list along with your guarantee of Jeff Teague being an All Star this year.

[ATLHawksfan21]

however, I think your prediction is off by at least a handful. This team should be able to reach the 50 win mark if we stay mostly healthy throughout the year. We can hit 53 or 54 if we have a guy like Bazemore, Schroder or Payne play well above expectations

I am, admittedly, skeptical of everything. Particularly my ATL sports teams which have broken my hearts dozens of times over the years.

But 50+ wins seems super optimistic. Hell, if we exceed Vegas' expectations by a dozen victories...every analyst in the state of Nevada deserves to be fired.

I'll add 50+ wins to the predictions list along with your guarantee of Jeff Teague being an All Star this year.

Your first mistake is believing that Vegas is making a prediction of what our record will be with this line of 40.5. This is not how they do things. Vegas sets the line at what they think will draw money from both sides. The Hawks are always hilariously underrated by the media and the general public and you see the result, a line that is hilariously lower than it should be.

The signs are glaringly obvious for a huge upsurge in wins for this team. Just look at how we performed when we were healthy last season for all of the evidence you need. We now have depth to counter any injuries that may occur (unless we have another freak incident of 3 Centers going down at the same time). I doubt we will see that issue arise again now that the heavily injury prone Ayon is gone and Horford has figured out that his weightlifting regimen was the cause of his injuries.

Feel free to add that to my predictions list. I've been correct on the majority of the things we have debated in the past and I am confident that I will continue to be from here on out. (i.e. you said the Pacers would make easy work of us last season, Teague would be traded in the offseason, Ferry would for sure be fired, Horford's cause of injury)

The Teague statement was going out on a limb, but it's a limb that I will take a stroll on. 50 wins is not a reach at all. That is the benchmark for this team for me and I am very confident that we reach it as long as we stay mostly healthy. Our much more favorable schedule, which you previously dismissed, will play a big factor in this also. We will an extra 3-5 games more on ease of schedule vs last year's alone.

[PandaKidd]

I would be impressed if they got to 45 wins. I think 50 is a pipe dream. They are going to have issues adapting with Horford and the new additions.

Even last year they were a .500 team with Horford healthy (hovering around .500).

Takes time to get acclamated, and theres going to be things that Millsap cant do now that AH is there. Same with Teague. They are going to have to really figure it out.

[PandaKidd]

and who even says Millsap repeats last years performance, or Teague?

Teague will not be an All Star, the East is loaded at PG. He is not better than Wall/KI/Rondo/Rose/Lowry/Walker

[ATLHawksfan21]

and who even says Millsap repeats last years performance, or Teague?

Teague will not be an All Star, the East is loaded at PG. He is not better than Wall/KI/Rondo/Rose/Lowry/Walker

Kemba Walker being better than Teague?? You gotta be kidding me.

Wall sure showed out against the Pacers in the second round didn't he. The dude has no jumpshot.

Rose is an unknown.

Rondo is hurt.

Lowry was in a contract year last season and him and Teague were pretty even when they faced off.

I love how ya'll go out of your way to discredit Teague. You won't be doing it for much longer.

Millsap is in a contract year. His play suffered big time when Horford went down. It was also his first year in a new system with a complete new cast of teammates. I would say it is FAR more likely that he improves than declines from last year's performance.

[Jamaaliver]

Feel free to add that to my predictions list. I've been correct on the majority of the things we have debated in the past...

ugadawgs, please dear god allow me access to search in the archives...

[ATLHawksfan21]

I would be impressed if they got to 45 wins. I think 50 is a pipe dream. They are going to have issues adapting with Horford and the new additions.

Even last year they were a .500 team with Horford healthy (hovering around .500).

Takes time to get acclamated, and theres going to be things that Millsap cant do now that AH is there. Same with Teague. They are going to have to really figure it out.

Your theory about Millsap and Horford is really reaching considering they averaged nearly 40 and 20 on great efficiency in their first 6 weeks of playing together. What happens if they both stay healthy and have a full year to gel? It won't be a negative, I can promise you that.

We lost several games by 2 points in those first 29 games with Horford. We also went through that insufferable 8 games in 12 days stretch which had a huge effect on us. You can deny it all you want, but the boxscores scream that it did. Look at all of our losses in those first 29 games and the losses at the end of that day 12 day stretch stick out like a sore thumb.

Teague's play suffered greatly when Horford went down. Horford's presence will be a godsend for Millsap and Teague. Can you expand on this theory that their play will be hindered by Horford? I am legitimately confused by this thought process. Horford makes the game easier for every one. Do you think the lane will be more open when Horford is at that 15-18 ft mark or if Antic is. Teague averaged over 8 assists per game with Horford and less than 6 without him. He had 10 double digit assist games in 29 games with Horford. He had only 4 of these in 57 games without him.

[PandaKidd]

I would be impressed if they got to 45 wins. I think 50 is a pipe dream. They are going to have issues adapting with Horford and the new additions.

Even last year they were a .500 team with Horford healthy (hovering around .500).

Takes time to get acclamated, and theres going to be things that Millsap cant do now that AH is there. Same with Teague. They are going to have to really figure it out.

Your theory about Millsap and Horford is really reaching considering they averaged nearly 40 and 20 on great efficiency in their first 6 weeks of playing together. What happens if they both stay healthy and have a full year to gel? It won't be a negative, I can promise you that.

We lost several games by 2 points in those first 29 games with Horford. We also went through that insufferable 8 games in 12 days stretch which had a huge effect on us. You can deny it all you want, but the boxscores scream that it did. Look at all of our losses in those first 29 games and the losses at the end of that day 12 day stretch stick out like a sore thumb.

Teague's play suffered greatly when Horford went down. Horford's presence will be a godsend for Millsap and Teague. Can you expand on this theory that their play will be hindered by Horford? I am legitimately confused by this thought process. Horford makes the game easier for every one. Do you think the lane will be more open when Horford is at that 15-18 ft mark or if Antic is. Teague averaged over 8 assists per game with Horford and less than 6 without him. He had 10 double digit assist games in 29 games with Horford. He had only 4 of these in 57 games without him.

Horford barely knows this unit, he played 25 games and missed the entire season and just now got cleared for contact.

You expect him to just mind meld into the system and not disrupt anyone else? When AH was there, they were a .500 team. I just dont this is a 50 win team. They have no scoring wing. They have a 1 trick pony in KK, they have no go to scorer.

2 point loss is still a loss.

I think 45 wins is a milestone for this team, because its just not that talented. The east is weak, thats the biggest thing going for them.

Adding another athletic big man who has a similar skillset to PM , its not outside the realm of thinking to believe there might be some congestion down there. Defense will have to respect AH.

Theres 2 other things you are forgetting:
1) Who says everyone stays healthy, history shows us we arent that lucky
2) who says PM has another All Star season in him?

Im just not as sold that we are east contenders as you are, which is understandable, you are a much bigger homer than I am

[PandaKidd]

and who even says Millsap repeats last years performance, or Teague?

Teague will not be an All Star, the East is loaded at PG. He is not better than Wall/KI/Rondo/Rose/Lowry/Walker

Kemba Walker being better than Teague?? You gotta be kidding me.

Wall sure showed out against the Pacers in the second round didn't he. The dude has no jumpshot.

Rose is an unknown.

Rondo is hurt.

Lowry was in a contract year last season and him and Teague were pretty even when they faced off.

I love how ya'll go out of your way to discredit Teague. You won't be doing it for much longer.

Millsap is in a contract year. His play suffered big time when Horford went down. It was also his first year in a new system with a complete new cast of teammates. I would say it is FAR more likely that he improves than declines from last year's performance.

Let me clarify:

ALL STAR , you ahve to be voted in man. KOBE BRYANT WAS VOTED IN and he played 4 games. No one is voting Teague into the ASG with KI/Rose/Rondo

sorry.

Teague has no jump shot either. Lowry is probably on a better team TBH, Wall is a better player, talent wise.

Teague is a good PG, i like him, but unless he developed a jumpshot in the offseason, we will still be wrestling with GOOD TEAGUE BAD TEAGUE like we always do