2014-15 Review
The Atlanta Hawks had themselves a remarkable regular season as they finished atop the Southeast Division and had the best regular season Conference record. They were the second-best home team in the league next to Golden State with a 35-6 record. All of Atlanta’s pieces came together in a fantastic regular season, unfortunately that success didn’t translate to a Eastern Conference championship as the Hawks lost to Cleveland.
New Additions
Tiago Splitter
The Hawks didn’t do much in the free-agent frenzy, but they did nab Splitter away from the San Antonio Spurs. Splitter of course became expendable as the Spurs signed LaMarcus Aldridge, but nonetheless this was a good get for the Hawks. Splitter provides excellent insurance against injury to both Paul Millsap and Al Horford, both of whom missed time last season due to injury. Splitter isn’t going to be that game changing player by any stretch, but he does add depth to the bench and some winning mentality to the locker room.
Key Losses
DeMarre Carroll
Carroll was a big contributor for the Hawks last season and his offensive talents will be sorely missed in Atlanta. Over the last three months of the regular season, Carroll averaged over 14.5 ppg and 5.8 rpg; however, he faded to near irrelevancy come playoff time for the Hawks. Carroll left Atlanta for a new four year $60 million deal with Toronto, which should represent decent value once the the salary cap structure takes effect. Carroll clearly wanted a bigger role in the team and he felt that the best opportunity wasn’t going to be in Atlanta.
Biggest Strength
Frontcourt Play
The Strength of Atlanta Hawks starts and stops with the play of Millsap and Horford. When both these guys are playing well, scoring and rebounding; their play opens up so many opportunities for the rest of the players. Jeff Teague can penetrate the lane and get to the rim when defenses can’t or don’t want to rotate off and Kyle Korver gets open looks because teams are slow to react on double-teams. Millsap and Horford are very formidable opponents for teams to matchup against as their versatility and willingness to involve their teammates makes things especially tough.
Biggest Weakness
Depth
The Hawks found out the hard way that bench strength is an absolute must for teams looking to advance come playoff time. Unfortunately for Atlanta their injury woes came at the most inopportune time and their subsequent lack of bench strength became glaringly evident. The Hawks tried to address this somewhat this offseason with the trade for Tim Hardaway Jr. and a couple signings like that of Splitter, but the one thing that is missing is that instant offence guy off the bench that all the great teams have. Losing Carroll certainly hurt, but not replacing him will come around to hurt even more this season.
Bottom Line
The Hawks will be very hard pressed to duplicate last season’s success. It is highly unlikely that they will be able to take the number one seed again this season as it is not a forgone conclusion that they are talented enough to win their own division again. The Miami Heat will be a different team next season once they are all healthy again and they will certainly be challenging for that division title. The Hawks will make the playoffs and they have the talent to advance out of the first round depending on their matchup.
Fantasy Slant
Most Overrated
Kyle Korver
When the going is good for Korver it can be fantastic, but when he is off the results are downright ugly for fantasy owners. The risks with Korver could be mitigated somewhat if only he contributed in other statistical categories besides scoring. His assists are nonexistent, the rebounding is low and the scoring is wildly fluctuating. All in all Korver is a risky play on most nights and he is a pricey option for a guy who averages just 12 ppg.
Most Underrated
Dennis Schroder
Schroder filled in nicely for the injured Jeff Teague last season as he proved himself capable of being a consistent backup for this team. Schroder definitely needs to work on his jump shot, but like most point guards coming into the NBA, this is not an uncommon trait. Schroder is fresh off an impressive showing for Germany at the 2015 FIBA Championships as he played in six games where he averaged a respectable 15.3 ppg, 5.3 apg and 1.8 rpg while shooting .571 from the field. If Schroder can continue that kind of play into the NBA season then he will carve out a nice existence for fantasy owners.