NBA Preview: Trae Young and the New Look Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks have been in rebuild mode since the days of prime Horford and prime Millsap. The rebuild days appear to be behind them.
The rebuild ended after drafting Luka Doncic and then immediately trading him for Trae Young. The future is bright.
Knowing Trae Young will reach superstar status after year one, they decide to go all-in acquiring veteran players left and right to make the playoff run.
The first major acquisition is the young small forward Bogdan Bogdanović. Bogdan hit the ground running entering the league. He improved his play in his second season with the Sacramento Kings finishing with 15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG. Bogdan’s value comes from adding another scoring threat, taking scoring pressure off Trae young. This forces teams to fully cover their roster, giving Young better looks.
The Hawks also added Rajon Rondo fresh off his championship run with the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Rondo is years from his prime, he will provide excellent minute relief for Trae Young off the bench. Last year, Rondo averaged 7.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 5.0 APG.
The Hawks didn’t stop. They also add stretch center Clint Capela to boost their defensive presence in the paint. Last season, Capela averaged a double-double on 13.9 PPG and 13.8 RPG. His PPG will see a slide due to no fault of his own. His value to the roster comes from his defensive and board dominance.
The Hawks added more small forward depth in veteran Danilo Gallinari. A proven winger adds more scoring to an already loaded roster. With this many forwards on the roster, load management will keep every player fresh down the road and into the playoffs. Gallinari averaged 18.7 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.9 APG with the Thunder last season.
The Hawks also have a few returning players that will make a difference. John Collins had a breakout season, averaging a double-double on 21.1 PPG and 10.1 RPG. Even with all the talent management acquired, expect Collins to build on his play as an upcoming star.
The Hawks also return young players in Hunter, Huerter and Reddish. All of three of these players averaged between 10.0-12.0 PPG. The value for these young players will be gaining experience and providing minute relief for the veterans off the bench. Most starters last season will be coming off the bench.
The Hawks will be a weird team to bet on at the beginning trying to find their identity. I can easily see this team starting out hot. I could also see this team struggling out of the gate as they find their chemistry. The money line play will hold value, especially on plus money lines, even against top tier teams.
The Hawks made the most waves in the offseason compared to every other team. Expect the new-look Hawks to finish top 4 in the East after years of missing the playoffs.
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I predict they will go 50-32 in the regular season and should be a contender to make a playoff run.
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