Projection: Hard pill to swallow

[Jamaaliver]

Sekou writes a Hawks season preview:

2017-18 Season Preview: Atlanta Hawks

It's rebuilding time in Atlanta with young cast, and it won't be pretty


Travis Schlenk came over from the Golden State Warriors to oversee the rebuilding process for the Hawks. He walked into a situation that should have been ideal... Schlenk must share what he learned during the construction phase of the Warriors’ championship crew and hope the Hawks get as much right as the Warriors did during their ascent ... This team is being turned over to a much younger cast, led by returning starting point guard Dennis Schroder.

THREE POINTS

1. Schlenk must convince everyone in the organization, from ownership down to the equipment manager, that patience is the one thing that has to be applied to almost everything that goes on for the foreseeable future. And that includes the development of a new starting five and playing rotation.

2. Schroder’s leadership skills must improve dramatically. He’s no longer the youngster on the scene. The Hawks need his on-and off-the-court talents to work in concert for the greater good. And instead of calling his own number more often than not, he must be a facilitator who raises the play of the entire group.

3. Rookie big man John Collins looked like a find in Summer League, showing off athleticism and a mean streak that surprised many, including some inside of the organization. The key for Collins will be finding the right fit, at either power forward or maybe even center, depending on where Budenholzer feels he fits best. His development is critical to the rebuilding plan.

THE BOTTOM LINE

After a decade of playoff basketball, this Hawks team must fight and claw to stay out of the basement in the Eastern Conference. There has just been too much roster turnover -- from All-Stars to rookies, youngsters and journeymen -- the past four seasons to forecast it any other way.

NBA.com

[Jamaaliver]

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Many have criticized Atlanta for choosing complacency over trying to compete for a title, but as superteams have come and gone, the Hawks remained and continued to always be a playoff staple. In 2015, they even made the conference finals in what was one magical season, but the reset button had to be pushed eventually. This offseason was the perfect time.

This group is much less experienced with rookies John Collins and Tyler Dorsey. Schroder had moments of brilliance during last year that showed why Atlanta believes in him. The Hawks' eventual rebuild will be a lot easier if Schroder does break through.

As the Hawks start over, there's going to be one advantage: They already have an established and good coach who will get them on the right track...don't be surprised if Atlanta is a competent defensive team for most of the season. Mike Budenholzer knows how to coach up a defense.

This is where Atlanta has an advantage over other rebuilding teams. The Hawks have an identity.

Starting fresh can be tough, but there's always a sense of hope that makes it all worthwhile. A rebuild, done the right way, can be very fun. The Hawks are entering Year One of that rebuild, but as young players burst onto the scene and new signings show potential, there will always be something to look forward to -- just probably not the playoffs.

[macd-gm]

The thing about Golden State is no one holds the ball. Even Steph. The ball finds everyone even zaza and javale. It remains to be seen if Dennis can really play that way. I think that's the biggest question mark we have.

[Jamaaliver]

YES! I really like Dennis' skillset. But he isn't a natural fit for that GSW style of play. Combine that with his arrest and off court issues this year, I have to think Schlenk will look to deal him sooner than later.

Especially if we end up with Doncic.

[jayu70]

NBATV with the Hawks season preview earlier.

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[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

The AP's Season Preview for Atlanta:

Atlanta Hawks begin a long, painful rebuilding process

Let the rebuilding begin for the Atlanta Hawks.

After an all-too-brief run among the NBA's elite, the Hawks are starting over with a largely anonymous squad and no hope of challenging the top teams. What's left is a dynamic point guard, Dennis Schroder, and not much else.

New general manager Travis Schlenk made it clear that his two immediate priorities were to get younger and gain "financial flexibility".

"Our goal for the season is to see growth in all our guys," Schlenk said, not mentioning anything about wins and losses.

That probably means Hawk fans are in for a bumpy ride this season.

SCHRODER GOES IT ALONE: Heading into his second season as a starter, Schroder is the unquestioned leader of team in flux. He ranked second in scoring at 17.9 points per game and averaged a team-high 6.3 assists last season. He'll be counted on to carry even more of the load on a roster that lacks any big-time scorers. More telling will be whether the 24-year-old shows some much-needed maturity. He had several off-the-court issues a year ago, and this season got off to a troubling start with his arrest on misdemeanor charges after a brawl at a late-night club.

BAZEMORE BOUNCEBACK: After signing a huge contract, Kent Bazemore struggled through an injury plagued season. The former D-Leaguer needs to start living up to his status as Atlanta's highest-paid player. He must improve his outside shooting.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Forward Taurean Prince moved into the lineup late in the season and played an integral role in the playoffs, averaging more than 11 points per game. The Hawks will be looking for similar progress out of their year's top draft choice, John Collins. The 6-foot-10 forward from Wake Forest is a dynamic athlete who has to expand his shooting range. If that improves, he'll likely take on an increased role as the season goes along.

STEPPING UP: The Hawks take great pride in their player development, and they'll have plenty of projects to work with this season. Forward Luke Babbitt is someone who could break out in a high-tempo offense. Also figuring to play a much bigger role are fifth-year big man Mike Muscala and forward DeAndre' Bembry, a first-round pick in 2016 who saw limited time as a rookie.

BUDENHOLZER'S ROLE: He's back for his fifth season as coach, but Budenholzer was stripped of his title as president of basketball operations. Schlenk has the final say on roster moves, and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with the coach he inherited — and how Budenholzer deals with a new boss.

USA Today

[Jamaaliver]

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Not exactly elite company we're in with these guys.

[jayu70]

What were the Odds last year - probably not much better.

[jayu70]

Q&A with Brad Rowland of SB Nation’s Hawks site Peachtree Hoops.

What needs to happen for this to be an enjoyable season for Hawks fans?
Development from young players. Atlanta's performance this season may not be fantastic in terms of wins and losses, but the progress of players like Dennis Schröder, John Collins, Taurean Prince, and DeAndre' Bembry is paramount. If nothing else, the rebuilding Hawks need to be able to grasp which of these prospects represent real core pieces for the future.

What makes Hawks fans most excited about this year? What makes Hawks fans most nervous?
The excitement surrounding the Hawks is largely rooted in youth and optimism for the future, as well as something shiny and new. Atlanta's playing style should be more entertaining this season after what was kind of a slog a year ago, and the nightly progress of the young roster should be fun to monitor.
In terms of nervousness, there is some reason to be fearful that the Hawks overachieve (and cost themselves in the NBA Draft Lottery) because of Mike Budenholzer's wizardry and the presence of some solid veterans.

What storyline might a national audience be missing about the Hawks?
Prince as "a thing" for the future. 3-and-D wings are perennially undervalued by most basketball fans and Prince projects to be another example. He doesn't appear to be a 20-point scorer, a 40 percent three-point shooter, or an absolutely elite defensive player. But there is big-time value in a 6'8, physically gifted wing who can provide average (or even above-average) production on both ends.
There aren't many of those guys in the NBA, and the Hawks may have found one with a late 2016 lottery pick.

Why should neutrals pay attention to the Hawks this year?
Collins is a lot of fun, and the young talent is intriguing.
It might be hard to sell purely casual fans on the Hawks because of the lack of big names, but it should be a relatively entertaining product. By the end of the year, the youth movement should be in full effect.

https://www.sbnation.com/a/nba-preview-2017/atlanta-hawks

[Jamaaliver]

Bettors back Hawks to exceed expectations

The statistical projections and pundits believe the Hawks will be among the two or three worst teams in the NBA this season. Accordingly, most bookmakers have set the over/under win total for the Hawks at 25-½ games.

But the betting public is bullish on the Hawks surpassing those expectations.

According to the Bovada online sportsbook, the Hawks are getting the second-most action on the “over” bet among NBA teams behind the Thunder (50-½) and ahead of the Cavaliers (53-½). At last look, the Hawks over bet was at -125 odds ($12.50 to win $10) and the under was at -105 ($10.50 to win $10).

myAJC

[Jamaaliver]

Dewayne Dedmon earns highest mark for Atlanta Hawks in ESPN’s RPM projections

ESPN’s individual projections emerged this week and it was not point guard Dennis Schröder sitting atop the heap for Atlanta. In fact, it was center Dewayne Dedmon (No. 91 overall) with a sizable lead over the rest of the roster and only Ersan Ilyasova (No. 103 overall) joined him in ranking as a positive overall contributor.

Dedmon’s strong rating relies on his defensive aptitude while Ilyasova earns slightly above-average marks on both ends of the floor. As for Schröder, the best player on Atlanta’s roster does not appear until No. 190 overall and, in short, his defensive issues from a season ago are likely reflected violently in this ranking.

Peachtree Hoops

[Jamaaliver]

This turned out to be fairly accurate:

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[Spud2nique]

This turned out to be fairly accurate:

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I think we would have won around 25 or 26 but when you have teams like Orlando (projected 33 wins), Dallas (35 wins) and the Grizz (37.5) tanking their brains out, you gotta kick it into turbo tank mode...

[D21]

This turned out to be fairly accurate:

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Except that players seems to not embracing the tank as much as we wanted

I think we would have won around 25 or 26 but when you have teams like Orlando (projected 33 wins), Dallas (35 wins) and the Grizz (37.5) tanking their brains out, you gotta kick it into turbo tank mode...

Whoa, didn't remember that DAL was that high in projections

[jayu70]

This turned out to be fairly accurate:

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Except that players seems to not embracing the tank as much as we wanted

I think we would have won around 25 or 26 but when you have teams like Orlando (projected 33 wins), Dallas (35 wins) and the Grizz (37.5) tanking their brains out, you gotta kick it into turbo tank mode...

Whoa, didn't remember that DAL was that high in projections

Players don't tank. More often than not they are playing for their next contract. For the young players you wany them playing well to develop.

[azuresou1]

I'm thrilled with how this season has turned out. I think I would have had to bust out the Tide Pods if we actually railed out 34 wins.

IN TRAVIS I TRUST