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Hawks are different, but are they improved?

Moderators: dms269, Jamaaliver, HMFFL

Are the Hawks a stronger team after this offseason?

Poll ended at Fri Aug 26, 2016 6:08 pm

Definitely an improved squad
9
38%
Pretty much the same as last year
0
No votes
Maybe. They're better at some things and weaker at others
13
54%
Too soon to tell
2
8%
Hawks will be terrible
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 24

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Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#1 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:19 pm

Seems like we know (for the most part) the final make-up of our team following Free Agency and the draft. And MiKe Cunningham (the criminally underrated) AJC Columnist and former Hawks Beat writer ponders if we are a better team than we were 2 months ago:


My first impression is that rebounding, by far the biggest weakness for the 2015-16 Hawks, should be drastically improved. Howard, Millsap, Humphries and Splitter are all good on the boards. That’s a good big rotation for rebounding.

The Hawks’ defense ranked No. 2 in efficiency last season and that shouldn’t change much in 2015-16. Howard no longer is a defensive force but he’s a strong rim protector. Splitter is a good post defender. The Hawks ranked worse than all but two teams in post defense efficiency last season; that should drastically next season. They still should get plenty of steals.

So the Hawks should be a bigger team that rebounds well and protects the paint. Those are not insignificant improvements.

But the main problem for the Hawks going on two seasons is inconsistent offense, especially when the chaos of the playoffs stifles pace-and-space, and I don’t see how the 2015-16 roster will be any better at scoring.

Millsap is a good overall offensive player who so far is aging gracefully. Now that Schroder owns the point, it’s possible he can improve and mitigate some of the issues with the team’s offense.

I don’t see how the Hawks will be much better offensively in 2015-16 and it’s hard for them to get much better defensively.
There’s been a lot of changes for the Hawks but I think that while they’ll look different their results will be about the same.
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Thoughts?

Predictions?

Concerns?
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#2 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:25 pm

The initial assessments seem fair. We'll definitely be a strong rebounding/defensive team this season.

The issues regarding the offense are valid as well, but all indications are that Budenholzer is revamping the offense. So it's too early to say. Admittedly, we'll need a second ball handler, playmaker on the wing. Jarrett Jack should provide this once he gets healthy.

MC also projects Hardaway at starting SG and Baze at SF. But, I suspect Bud will do everything to get Prince into the starting 5 at SF ASAP. In the (likely) event he's not ready early, I see Thabo getting the nod as starter. Just like we saw by the end of the playoffs.

NOTE: A starting backcourt of Dennis and THJ this soon...could be disastrous. Schroder needs vets playing alongside/behind him.

I see us as 4th or 5th seed again. But a much tougher out in the playoffs next year.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#3 » by PandaKidd » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:41 pm

How can Prince be the starting SF when you just paid Bazemore 70 million>?

Are we really going to move bazemore to the 2 guard? That would basically push THJ/Korver out the door or out of the rotation. I mean maybe THJ could play some spare minutes at the 3 spot ?
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#4 » by jayu70 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:48 pm

The offense won't be and can't be the same.
I expect Bud to revamp the offense around the players strength.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#5 » by azuresou1 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 5:54 pm

PandaKidd wrote:How can Prince be the starting SF when you just paid Bazemore 70 million>?

Are we really going to move bazemore to the 2 guard? That would basically push THJ/Korver out the door or out of the rotation. I mean maybe THJ could play some spare minutes at the 3 spot ?


I think in this day Baze/Prince is a better starting roster than Korver/Baze. We give up some shooting but we become much more athletic, better on defense, and with more shot creation.

TBH I expect Kyle to fall off a lot this season, particularly on the defensive side
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#6 » by PandaKidd » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:05 pm

I do agree with you, just seems like such a departure for Bud to go from trusting his vets implicitly to now hes going to trust rookie backup at PG and Rookie SF . Just seems so counter to what hes done the entire tenure in Atlanta.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#7 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:06 pm

PandaKidd wrote:How can Prince be the starting SF when you just paid Bazemore 70 million>?

Are we really going to move bazemore to the 2 guard?


I definitely think so. Baze seems much better suited for SG than Prince does. But Taurean seems a perfect fit at SF.

I think Korver reverts back to role player status and backs up both positions along with Thabo.

Bembry likely gets no PT. Patterson seems a long-shot to make the roster this Fall.

Leaving THJ fighting for minutes at PG, SG and SF.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#8 » by jayu70 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:07 pm

PandaKidd wrote:I do agree with you, just seems like such a departure for Bud to go from trusting his vets implicitly to now hes going to trust rookie backup at PG and Rookie SF . Just seems so counter to what hes done the entire tenure in Atlanta.

Trusting his vets got him swept by Cleveland 2 years in a row. He had to work with what he had.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#9 » by atlantabbq99 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 6:11 pm

The Hawks did improve, but still not enough to take down Lebron. Hawks again will be a top 4 team in the east, most likely vying for #2 or #3 in the east, but Hawks will still have to face Lebron in the playoffs.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#10 » by td00 » Tue Jul 12, 2016 7:37 pm

How can anyone want to stand pat after being swept 2 years in a row? It was time for change, no matter what that change is.

Lots of good points re: talent, and to me, it appears we have a much more balanced roster. We have depth at every position and call me crazy, but PG may be our position with the least depth.

This will be the most excited I've been for a roster since NIque/Fratello were leading the way. I also think that Korver regains some of what he didn't show last year. I just think he had a long road to recovery and never got back to who we was 2 years ago. Korver has that starting slot until someone outplays him.

Ready to get training camp started.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#11 » by PandaKidd » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:16 pm

I think they are different, not sure if its improved. The problem is if they use last years offensive system, I am unsure if they are improved because they lost midrange jumpshots and 3s for rebounding and defense (d12)

I dont know what DS can do with starters minutes (although i do like the move)

YOure asking me to think that Bazemore will take a huge leap forward and I dont think that is possible. I think hes a good solid player. nothing more nothing less.

Korver will decline so youre asking me to trust either a rookie or THJ, i cant.

PM is PM.

I think they wind up being largely the same. Unless we see a huge breakout season from the 12th pick im not sure how much BETTER they really are.

2 years ago we blamed not having Thabo as the problem, this past year it was lack of shooting/rebounding.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#12 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:32 pm

PandaKidd wrote:YOure asking me to think that Bazemore will take a huge leap forward and I dont think that is possible. I think hes a good solid player. nothing more nothing less.



This is essentially my concern.

For what we paid KB, I don't doubt Bud believes he can get Bazemore to the next level. But I see him as a great 3 & D role player...nothing more. I think he's closer to Danny Green than Khris Middleton, cause I don't think he can lead the team in scoring under any circumstance.

I think he can get slightly more production...but I don't know if it helps us win games to feature him more in the offense.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#13 » by PandaKidd » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:43 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:
PandaKidd wrote:YOure asking me to think that Bazemore will take a huge leap forward and I dont think that is possible. I think hes a good solid player. nothing more nothing less.



This is essentially my concern.

For what we paid KB, I don't doubt Bud believes he can get Bazemore to the next level. But I see him as a great 3 & D role player...nothing more. I think he's closer to Danny Green than Khris Middleton, cause I don't think he can lead the team in scoring under any circumstance.

I think he can get slightly more production...but I don't know if it helps us win games to feature him more in the offense.

If what you think is true happens, and he moves to the 2 guard , maybe he can be more effective not having to guard the bigger guys night in night out.

But I dont know youre asking me to believe this team has more than 50 wins in it, Im not sure , mainly because I dont know what the offense is going to look like
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#14 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Jul 12, 2016 8:56 pm

PandaKidd wrote:But I dont know youre asking me to believe this team has more than 50 wins in it, Im not sure , mainly because I dont know what the offense is going to look like



I'm right there with you. And with so many changes in personnel and offensive strategy...I'm suddenly very wary of how Dennis will perform with no viable backup the first few months.

I could see him average 20 ppg and the team be much worse for it.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#15 » by ATL Boy » Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:10 pm

I know that we lost "3 point shooting" and that Al led the league in 3 pointers made by a center last year, but I wish he had never started taking that shot in the first place. It became frustrating (almost Josh Smith level frustrating) watching our center just stand around at the 3 point line, not looking to be aggressive at all, except for some very rare, sporadic moments. I won't miss Al's 3 point shooting at all.

I think an underrated point in Bazemore moving to the 2, that hasn't been mentioned yet, is that that will improve our rebounding on top of the rebounding uptick we'll get with Dwight replacing Horford. Bazemore is longer and more athletic than most of the SGs in the league, and that'll help him in the rebounding department.

I hope that we go into this season with a defensive scheme that focuses on one on one defense with the paint being protected and anchored by Dwight. Sticking to just one man will also make it easier and less convoluted for our players to get a body on someone when it's time to collect rebounds.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#16 » by Jamaaliver » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:05 pm

Vegas appears unimpressed by our changes this off-season:

Does Howard improve Hawks' title odds? Nope


A tornado has swept through NBA rosters and relocated a few faces to new places. Dwight Howard crashed in Atlanta. Al Horford landed in Boston.

The odds on who's favored to win the NBA championship shifted with the landscape, according to mytopsportsbook.

While the [Hawks] lost Horford to free agency, the team added All-Star center Howard and retained guard Kent Bazemore. Vegas didn't see these as improvements and moved the Hawks' odds to claim their first NBA title from 35-to-1 odds to a pedestrian 50-to-1 odds.
Here


Vegas now gives us the same odds to win the title as the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#17 » by Patrick1978 » Mon Jul 18, 2016 4:08 pm

Hello Magic fan here from romania

I want to say that i will follow your Team next year because you are an interesting Team.
I like Schröder a lot,i think he can be really good.
Also the resigning of bazemore,a Quality Player.
The signing of dwight was a good Move,i think he can bring a lot to your Team.
A frontcourt with bazemore,howard and millsap will be really good.
Your bench is also very interesting with Splitter,prince and bembry.
I will follow prince and bembry next season.I Wanted the magic to draft one them as i think they have very interesting skillsets and will be very good additions to your Team.

Ladies and Gentlemen i wish you very good Luck for Next Season.
We will see us in the Playoffs
Magic din romania

Ma numesc petre,sunt de la constanta

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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#18 » by Geaux_Hawks » Mon Jul 18, 2016 11:15 pm

I think we're for sure a better team. We're tougher inside, have more quality depth on the wings, and have the upside of DS at the point. At first I wanted to see KK come off the bench, but I believe we will need his shooting threat from outside.

The Howard lob will be a great addition to our offense. I'm just excited to have his size and mobility period, and he's been working on his FT's as well. Him and Sap should be the best 2 way frontcourt in the league, or at least top 3. The froncourt will be the strength of the team again, but it looks much improved from what we lacked last year. Especially if Splitter is good to go.

The wing depth should prove to be an underrated strength of ours this year. Prince and bembry are already NBA ready players, and once they gain some seasoning and confidence, they should give us some much needed energy off the bench. Speaking of the bench, wouldn't Donatas Motiejunas be perfect for our bench.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#19 » by Jamaaliver » Tue Aug 2, 2016 6:19 pm

CBS Sports has our starting 5 ranked among the top 10 in the NBA. Wonderful news that, hopefully, will be a precursor to a great season:

10. Atlanta Hawks

PROJECTED LINEUP:
Dennis Schroder, Kent Bazemore, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard

Remember when Jeff Teague, Korver, DeMarre Carroll, Millsap and Al Horford shared a Player of the Month award, and when four of the five made the All-Star team? It's weird that this was only two seasons ago, and it's unfair to expect the new group to work together like that. Atlanta has the potential to have one of the best lineups in the league, but only if Schröder lives up to this promotion as Teague's replacement and everyone adjusts to having a totally different type of center in Howard.
Here


I can't find a link for where they had our starting 5 ranked last season, but it's wonderful to see our group held in such high regard nationally.

It's pretty much all on Dennis and Dwight moving forward.
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Re: Hawks are different, but are they improved? 

Post#20 » by PandaKidd » Tue Aug 2, 2016 6:32 pm

still UGH at Korver starting

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