RealGM

ESPN has us ranked in the top 10 for next season. But in rating the franchise for the long term, they seem less bullish on the Atlanta Franchise, relegating the team to 21 in the 30 team league.

Soaring Down South's reaction to the rating:

This ranking takes into account how well the organization is set up for future success. Things like current assets, the age of their core players and the status of the coaching staff and front office are taken into account...The Hawks core is getting up there in age. Jeff Teague is 27, Paul Millsap is 30, Al Horford is 29, Kyle Korver is 34 and Thabo Sefolosha is 31. Every player in the starting line up is in their prime or just exiting their prime. They are built for current success, not future success.

ESPN Insider specifically expresses doubt regarding our new GM's abilities compared to his predecessor.

We’re also still a little skeptical of whether the Hawks’ new braintrust of Mike Budenholzer (doubling as president of basketball operations) and GM Wes Wilcox (promoted from assistant GM) can match departed Danny Ferry’s track record of bargain finds in free agency. So despite Budenholzer winning Coach of the Year, Atlanta scores only slightly better than average in the management department.

With us committing $20 million per year to Millsap and likely exceeding that amount to Horford next summer, we will likely be limited moving forward in how flexible and aggressive we can be in Free Agency. And since any future draft selections will likely be much lower than where we've been the last few years, that avenue is unlikely to produce much more fruit than it has.

Thoughts?

Predictions?

We much too low?

Have we put all our chips in banking on Korver-Horford-Millsap carrying us to the promised land in the next couple of years?

Any young starters or stars anywhere on our roster that the pundits at ESPN seem to be overlooking?

Any concern that Dennis, THJ, Teague, Korver and (potentially) Millsap could all be Free Agents in 2017?

Any ESPN Insider subscribers able to put up the graphic so we can get a glimpse of what our ranking is specific categories?

I assume a big part of this is based on our lack of success in the first round of the draft over the past 4 years. With 5 picks averaging around pick 17 in each draft (we had two in 2013), only two of those players are still with the team. The jury is still largely out on whether either player can be considered a future starter (Dennis and/or THJ).

Our success in the 2nd round has been more pronounced, acquiring rotation players on reasonable contracts. (Mike Scott, Muscala, Tavares)

I think 21 may be a little low, personally. I see Dennis as a future starter at PG.

But our lack of success in the past 4 drafts is definitely problematic. We've seen a number of guys passed on by Hawks management go on to either become major players (Rudy Gobert) or at least rotation players with great on-court or trade value (Gorgui Dieng, Festus Ezeli, Tim Hardaway Jr, Tony Wroten).

We did manage to get a stud in DS, but our Farm System is barren. If we cap ourselves out next summer retaining AL...I'm not sure where to expect any true improvement from in the next few years.

If Teague is capable of morphing into a talent as dominant as Steph Curry, Russ Westbrook or Chris Paul...this would be the time.

We'll be in a better position cap wise going forward since we would have bird rights on every player except Baze and Holiday and with the anticipated cap 'explosion' from the TV deal.
If the player development continues I see Dennis and THJr as the backcourt of the future (Teague might be on the move ), SF needs to be addressed, Korver and Milsap to the bench eventually, Horf at 4, Edy at 5. Can Moose continue his development? I think next years draft is critical, I'm hoping Minny squeaks into the number 8 playoff spot this season so we can get our mid teen draft pick.
Possibility of trading Teague and pick at next years draft to move up.
Honestly I don't think we have that one untradable player so all options on table.

Not a surprise, our stockpile of young talent is pretty low. Dennis projects as a hot/cold starter, Tavares is huge but dunno if he has NBA quickness. Muscala can develop into a good rotational guy, and THJ can potentially develop into a starter or more probably a 6th man.

It's not terrible and I don't think the wheels will fall off our team, but there definitely isn't any superstar talent. Even in the off chance Dennis becomes All-Star caliber, that pipeline of decent/serviceable players is less valuable than having that one young guy who becomes the next T-Mac.

You'd think being rid of the A$G and moving away from the Ferry fiasco would give the front office a boost.