Bleacher ReportProjecting the Team's Win-Loss Record for Next 5 Seasons
All good things must eventually come to an end.
The Atlanta Hawks haven't missed the playoffs since 2006-07. But that streak won't last forever, and our projections have it coming to a close in 2017-18, shortly after Paul Millsap leaves in free agency.
From there, rebuilding is tough.
The Hawks have made a habit out of staying on the fringes of competitiveness, sometimes exceeding expectations and winning a substantial number of games but usually emerging as little more than first- or second-round fodder for true contenders. They've struggled to sign top-tier free agents in their primes, and the persistent mediocrity has made finding draft-day studs a difficult endeavor. There's simply no way to replace Millsap, either now or in the relatively distant future.
Unless Atlanta shows a new proclivity for tanking, the next few years will most likely contain slight regression, coupled with some mid-level free-agency overpays that allow it to remain on the fringes of .500. Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard (even as he moves deeper into his 30s) can keep the team in the playoff picture, but there's not enough upside or draft equity to do anything more.
This is a bleak forecast.
Which is worse: Tanking? or Irrelevance?
