Atlanta Hawks: Three reasons to watch
With the 2016-17 NBA season on the horizon, Paste BN Sports highlights the top three reasons to watch all 30 teams. We also recap any significant moves made in the offseason and project how your favorite team will finish.
Watchability ranking: 19th
What’s different? In comes Dwight Howard, out goes Al Horford. While the latter is the better all-around player at this stage, Howard could be a pleasant surprise for his hometown Hawks. Jeff Teague was sent to Indiana, so Dennis Schroder has the keys to the offense as he enters his fourth NBA season with 16 starts under his belt.
Superman returns? While the fate of a franchise is never as simple as one player, a large portion of the Hawks’ future rests on Howard’s shoulders. He’s not the perennial All-NBA center that he once was, but he's still one of the most gifted big men in the league. Could a change of scenery reignite his career? Or will he continue the downward spiral that began in Orlando and continued with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets? Either way, Howard and the Hawks should be on the radar.
The rookies: Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry — Atlanta’s 12th and 21st draft picks — are both NBA-ready players with the necessary tools to earn playing time right away. With a 6-8 frame and three-and-D capabilities, Prince could thrive in a role similar to the one DeMarre Carroll had two seasons ago, while Bembry’s combination of passing, athleticism and basketball IQ should fit right in with coach Mike Budenholzer’s system.
The $70 million man: If you haven’t heard much about Kent Bazemore — an undrafted, 27-year-old swingman whose claim to fame was a 23-game stint with the Lakers in the 2013-14 season — now’s the time to start listening. After working his way into the starting lineup last year, he emerged as an all-around asset for Atlanta as the team’s fourth scoring option behind Paul Millsap, Teague and Horford, and he was compensated accordingly this summer. He averaged 11.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and made 1.5 three-pointers a game, shooting at 35.7%.
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
(Statistics from 2015-16 season)
- Dennis Schroder - Points: 11.0, assists: 4.4, rebounds: 2.6, steals: 0.9, field goal percentage: 42.1%
- Kyle Korver - Points: 9.2, rebounds: 3.3, assists: 2.1, steals: 0.8, field goal percentage: 43.5%
- Kent Bazemore - Points: 11.6, rebounds: 5.1, assists: 2.3, steals: 1.3, field goal percentage: 44.1%
- Paul Millsap - Points: 17.1, rebounds: 9.0, assists: 3.3, blocks: 1.7, field goal percentage: 47.0%
- Dwight Howard (with Houston) - Points: 13.7, rebounds: 11.8, assists: 1.4, blocks: 1.6, field goal percentage: 62.0%
How good can they be? With the East up for grabs after Cleveland, Atlanta will be right back in the mix, earning its 10th consecutive appearance in the postseason.
Paste BN'S projection: 48-34
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