2015/16 Team Preview: Brooklyn Nets

Additions: Andrea Bargnani, Wayne Ellington, Dahntay Jones, Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Donald Sloan, Quincy Miller

In my opinion, the most interesting addition to the Brooklyn roster is undoubtedly Andrea Bargnani. He is commonly referred to as bust mainly because he was the #1 overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA draft; but make no mistake, Bargnani isn’t Michael Olawakandi or Anthony Bennett. Over his 9-year career, he’s averaged 15 PPG, even averaging 17.2 and 21.4 PPG in 2009/10 and 2010/11 respectively. Bargnani even helped the Raptors get to the playoffs in his first two seasons, but once Chris Bosh bolted for Miami, his Raptors never saw the postseason again. Once Andrea landed with the Knicks, not only did he stop playing well, he stopped playing in general, appearing in just 71 games in his two years with the team. Over this summer, he ended up signing a 2-year deal for the veteran’s minimum with the Nets. But does he have anything left in the tank? Well let’s look at some of the positives. For the first time in his NBA career, very little is expected of Bargnani. He was a #1 draft pick in Toronto and he was making over $22 million while he was in New York. No one expects him to be the man; in fact, no one expects him to start. Bargnani will be backing up Brooklyn’s franchise player Brook Lopez. But it’s still not all good. Brooklyn brought in Andrea to help space the floor when Lopez is on the bench; however, Bargnani’s no longer the “poor man’s Dirk.” Over his least two seasons, he’s taking dramatically less three point tries, attempting just 1.4 threes per game last year. For a seven-footer, he’s also a less-than-stellar rebounder (4.8 RPG career average) and almost a non-existent shot blocker. If Bargnani is going to reinvent his game successfully, he may have to enter the paint this season.

Losses: Alan Anderson, Earl Clark, Jerome Jordan, Darius Morris, Mason Plumlee, Mirza Teletovic, Deron Williams

Ever since the Nets reigned in the Brooklyn era, they’ve been searching for an identity. They’ve had four coaches and numerous superstars come and go. When the then New Jersey Nets traded for Deron Williams in 2010, he appeared to be the cornerstone of the franchise. It looks like the cornerstone is going to have to be Brooke Lopez moving forward because Deron Williams’ lack of leadership, humongous contract, and generally shitty play became such an albatross that the Nets agreed to a $25 million buyout just to rid themselves of Williams. As for what D-Will still has in the tank, we’ll have to address that in the Mavericks preview, but looking back on his tenure with the Nets, it’s hard to view it as anything other than a colossal failure. The basketball world was shocked when the Jazz traded Williams, then an elite player often cited along with Chris Paul as one of the best PGs in the league, to New Jersey after he and Jerry Sloan failed to see eye-to-eye. Soon after, it was apparent why the Jazz traded him—he’s an uncoachable player with bad ankles and weight issues. Furthermore, future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce has since noted that upon arriving in Brooklyn, he assumed Williams would be an MVP candidate but soon conceded that Williams “just didn’t want it.”

When the Nets traded Mason Plumlee to Portland last June, the team more or less committed to re-signing Brook Lopez when his contract expires in the summer of 2016. It’s not like they gave Plumlee away, they received a veteran point guard and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson in return. But given Plumlee’s occasional flashes of brilliance, his departure was somewhat surprising. Let’s be honest: Brooke Lopez doesn’t play every minute in an NBA game, nor does he play in every game in any NBA season. Are the Nets ready to move forward with Andrea Bargnani as the sole insurance policy to Lopez? It appears they are. In a season that will most likely be the Nets’ worst since moving to Brooklyn, the team will certainly be extremely light on the boards. Beyond Lopez, the team will rely upon rookie Chris McCullough, the often-waived Thomas Robinson, and undersized tweener Thaddeus Young to clean the glass! Yikes! Plumlee also established himself as one of the more athletic bigs in the league and a solid finisher around the rim. Despite Plumlee landing on the wrong side of Lionel Hollins’ rotation throughout the second half of the year, I believe the Nets are cutting ties with Mason too early. He’s making $1.4 million this year and has a $2.3 million team option in 2016/17. I love Hollis-Jefferson but he’s not prepared to make the impact Plumlee will next season. Unfortunately for him, however, he got shipped to a team that might actually be worse than Brooklyn. Good luck, Mason!

Rookies: Ryan Boatright, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris McCullough, Willie Reed

At 20 years old, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson already has NBA size—he’s 6’7”, 212 pounds with a 7’2” wingspan. It’s quite possible that he adds even more size to his frame throughout his NBA career. Not only is he athletic and strong, he’s also quick and explosive. Hollis-Jefferson also has an excellent motor and a nose for the ball. He has the potential to be a superb role player and teammate as he can be quite effective without the ball. He’s also a superior defender with ability to guard a variety of positions (most likely 2-4 in the NBA). Unfortunately, he’s not much of a shooter and his form is not very consistent. Due to his shaky jumper and subpar handle, he’s quite limited offensively, but he’s always around the rim and has the potential to become an excellent garbage man. Nonetheless, with his size, energy, and defensive prowess, I believe Hollis-Jefferson is primed to have a lengthy career in the NBA.

Guards: Following Williams’ departure, the Nets backcourt is a little on the thin side. Despite playing on every team in the league, Jarrett Jack is a very solid player. His game isn’t overly exciting, but over his ten-year career, Jack has averaged 11 PPG and 4.4 APG, both marks he achieved last season in Brooklyn. While not a particularly great shooter, Jack’s greatest attribute may be his ability to lead, which on a team that will most likely hit several skids is quite important. Beyond Jack, the Nets will rely on Shane Larkin (on his third team in three years) and journeyman Donald Sloan. In short, Larkin hasn’t been a very good NBA player up to this point. He didn’t really play in Dallas, but with New York last season, Larkin appeared in 76 games (starting 22), where he averaged 6.2 PPG off 43.3% shooting from the field in 24.5 minutes per game. Although he ranked 14^th in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, (2.72), more tellingly, he ranked 59^th in assists per 48 minutes (5.8). Larkin also posted a PER of just 10.9 last season. If Larkin is going to help the Nets, he’s going to need better. Donald Sloan had a solid season last year and will most likely sit behind Larkin in the rotation despite posting superior numbers last season (7.4 PPG, 3.6 APG, and 13.1 PER). Bojan Bogdanovic returns at the two spot after having a solid season last season. Foremost, Bojan is an excellent shooter and will be relied upon to fill that role. Wayne Ellington, a serviceable guard who’s shown flashes of brilliance but has never done enough to stick with any one team longer than a season after his time in Minnesota, will back him up. On a team with little more than three good players, Brooklyn’s backcourt exemplifies why the Nets won’t be very good.

Forwards: Joe Johnson’s 14.4 PPG last season was his lowest mark since 2002/03 and his 35.9 3PT% is his second-lowest mark since 2005/06… And he makes $25 million this season, second only to Kobe Bryant. Wow! Think he’ll take a pay cut in 2016/17? The Nets are saps and acquiring Joe Johnson proved it. For now, they just need to give him the ball, lose games, and wait for the season to end. Best-case scenario: maybe they can move him somewhere before the deadline. Worst-case scenario: I think the Nets are living it. I’ve already stated that I think Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will be a solid pro, but he’s not much of an offensive player and most likely won’t help the Nets much this season. Sergey Karasev is a good passer and an allegedly good shooter. With increased playing time last season, he stepped his game up from his rookie campaign. However, if Karasev is gonna make a name for himself in this league as a shooter, he’s going to have to increase his shooting numbers (he’s averaged 39.1 from the field and 27.4 from three in his two seasons).

Centers: This team has one piece… Brook Lopez. He’s arguably the best center in the East. Although he seems to be frequently injured, it should be noted that Lopez has played in over 72 games in five of his seven seasons. If Lopez can get over his foot issues for good, he has a chance to have a really good season and return to All-Star form. Lopez is one of the few remaining centers that still opt to play big. He’s essentially un-guardable in the post, he finishes around the rim, and has a reliable shot in and around the paint. Realistically, who in the East can stop him on a nightly basis? Nobody? If he’s healthy, there’s no reason to think Lopez can’t go for 20 and 8 per game off 52% shooting. The only thing holding Brook back is his feet. Then we have the aforementioned Bargnani. If he’s logging 30+ minutes, things are going badly for the Nets. He used to be able to shoot—over the least two seasons, not so much. Again, I think the Nets will miss Plumlee.

Final thoughts: This team is gonna be bad… Like Sixers, Magic, Knicks bad. In fact the Magic and the Knicks might be better. Similar to the Knicks, the Nets have a star player, but have nothing around them… Joe Johnson is still good enough to score but he’s not gonna help the team with much more…. Thaddeus Young is the third best player on this roster… Lopez and Johnson are off the books after this season; the Ghost of Deron Williams and Jack are off the books in the summer of 2017. Although the Brooklyn Nets have become more or less synonymous with the luxury tax, they can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. Moving forward, they’ll most likely re-sign Lopez and still have Thaddeus Young, who many would be shocked to learn is still just 27 years old… If Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a bust, you can tell me I was wrong in three years… If Thomas Robinson is every any good, you can also tell me I was wrong in three years… Much like the Sixers, the Nets are just fielding players to complete a roster at this point. At least they’re getting their payroll down…

2015/16 Team Preview: Boston Celtics

Additions: Amir Johnson, Perry Jones, David Lee

Despite the Celtics’ perceived overload at the power forward position, I have every reason to believe that Amir Johnson will be starting and ending most games for the Celtics. Over Johnson’s six seasons with Toronto, he shot 57.2% from the floor. Johnson is by most accounts a better rebounder than his 6.1 RPG last season would reflect. He also has the potential to score much more than he ever did in Toronto. Some are assuming that Johnson will attempt to expand his game to beyond the three-point arc, but I have yet to see any evidence suggesting this is a good idea. If the C’s are going to implement a stretch four, I would certainly advise using Jonas Jerebko or even Jarred Sullinger over Johnson. Johnson’s a solid defender and a decent shot blocker and known to do all of the “little things” on defense. His grit and hustle should quickly endear him to Boston fans.

Much like Johnson, the Celtics are paying David Lee a lot of money… $15.5 million to be exact. Yet unlike Johnson, his role on the team is still uncertain. Despite arguably being the best player on the roster, Lee may not play much more than 18 – 22 minutes per game. Amir Johnson will start at the four, and Jarred Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk can be viewed as either integral parts of the C’s future, or at the least, solid trade assets. We can all assume that Lee will get much more burn than Gerald Wallace got in 2014/15, but does he have any role in the Celtics future? Perhaps this season will be the litmus test. To David Lee’s credit, he was a consummate professional with Golden State last season, accepting his heavily reduced role on a championship level team and supporting the younger players who were essentially pushing him out of Oakland. Nonetheless, Lee remained ready to play and eventually made a meaningful impact on the Dubs’ playoff run. Although he might not ever return to his previous All-Star form, perhaps Lee can match the 18/10 mark that he achieved for five consecutive seasons (2009 – 2014) or just a shade below (playing time permitted).

Losses: Brandon Bass, Luigi Datome, Gerald Wallace

RIP to Gerald Wallace! At his peak, Wallace was incredible—a total energy guy who embraced a reckless style of play that helped him become a solid scorer, excellent rebounder, and superior defender. In 2005/06, Wallace averaged 2.5 SPG and 2.1 BPG making him the third player EVER to average two steals and two blocks per game over a season (David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon are the others). But those Charlotte days are long gone. Most notably, in 2012, Portland traded him to the New Jersey in a head-scratching deal in which the Nets gave up the 7^th overall pick that became Damian Lillard. Much like the contracts of Keith Van Horn or Theo Ratliff, Wallace’s contract has outlived his NBA lifespan. It was almost inevitable that it would end up in the hands of the Sixers.

Rookies: RJ Hunter, Jordan Mickey, Terry Rozier

Admittedly, I was quite surprised when the Celtics reached for Rozier at #16 of the 2015 draft. Not only because Rozier wasn’t projected as a first round pick for the majority of the summer, but I was STUNNED that they took a point guard – isn’t that Marcus Smart’s job? I guess the C’s weren’t pleased with the remaining eligible bigs so they went a different direction with things… Undoubtedly, the Celtics added a top-notch perimeter defender to a backcourt that already boasted the likes of Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley. Despite standing just 6’2”, Rozier has a 6’8” wingspan and will guard both guard positions. Rozier is also an excellent rebounder and possesses a lightning quick first step but he’s a streaky shooter and not a great finisher in the paint. Nonetheless, he’s very athletic and plays aggressively. Rozier’s success next season depends mainly on how many minutes he receives and how quickly he can adjust to NBA defenses.

Most likely, R.J. Hunter will always be remembered as the guy who hit a 30-foot shot to advance Georgia State past Baylor while his coach and father fell out of his chair. But it doesn’t have to end there; Hunter has the tools to become a solid player in this league. He’s a lights out shooter. Although he struggles to create his own shot, he can come off pick and rolls, get open off screens, or spot up from deep three. However, Hunter takes A LOT of jumpers; it would be nice to see him get to the rim. Some have questioned his shot selection, but I think that’s most likely just a product of Hunter playing in such a small conference and on a team that needed him to take on the bulk of offensive duties. He’s also a very gifted passer with excellent court vision. Defensively, he has good size at the SG position (6’5” with a 6’9.5” wingspan), though at just 180 lbs. he will need to bulk up to defend stronger guards. Due to the Celtics depth in the backcourt, Hunter might not get a lot of burn to start, but I could envision him passing James Young on the depth chart before the All-Star break.

Guards: While acknowledging the Celtics have some quality guards, they all seem to have deficiencies—perhaps that’s why the C’s used their first two picks in last year’s draft on guards. Isaiah Thomas is the most seasoned guard, and despite his role as a sixth man, he will most likely see the most minutes. He’s a proven scorer but his lack of size makes it difficult for him to guard anyone straight up. Marcus Smart is a good defender, who could easily play alongside Thomas in an effort to defend bigger guards, but he’s a dismal shooter from everywhere on the floor (36.7 FG%, 33.5 3PT%, and 64.6% FT% last season). Although just one year ago, Smart appeared to be Rajon Rondo’s successor and the Celtics’ future at the position. But since drafting Smart, Boston added Thomas and combo-guard Terry Rozier from Louisville. The backcourt is rounded out by defensive stopper Avery Bradley, the highly underappreciated but often inefficient Evan Turner, and James Young, a second-year guard who spends most of his time with the Maine Red Claws.

Forwards: As previously stated, the Celts acquired David Lee this summer in a deal with Golden Sate for Gerald Wallace. There’s really no way that deal can backfire. Even if Lee is a complete flop in the Bean, his expiring contract will be worth something to someone next February. There are a lot of people who believe in Jarred Sullinger’s potential; I am not one of them. There was a reason he fell from potential lottery pick to 21^st overall in the 2012 draft. Granted, over the past three seasons, he’s averaged a respectable 11.4 PPG and 7.4 RPG, but he also missed 69 games. Call me a skeptic but there’s something I don’t trust about a guy who’s consistently out of shape with a bad back, sore knees, and foot problems. If I was Danny Ainge, I would find the first GM that believes in Sully’s potential and make a deal. As I previously stated, I like the addition of Amir Johnson. Although I certainly don’t consider $12 million a year a bargain, it’s only a 2-year deal that shouldn’t hamstring the Celtics if the team develops like Ainge and Stephens hope it will. I do like Jonas Jerebko, as he played possibly the best basketball career after being traded to Boston last season and should see an uptick in minutes this season. Jae Crowder was a revelation for the Celtics last season, and in hindsight, might have been the best player involved in the Rajon Rondo to Dallas trade last season. At just 25, his potential is limitless… kinda. Jordan Mickey won’t get much burn but he’s certainly has more potential defensively than every forward on the roster with the exception of Amir Johnson. Lastly, Perry Jones won’t be on the team very long, so he doesn’t matter.

Centers: It’s a down era for Celtics centers. Robert Parrish isn’t walking through that door…. Tyler Zeller will though. Every day. In all fairness, Zeller exceeded everyone’s expectations after being acquired (along with a future first round pick and Marcus Thornton) for a trade exception and a future second-rounder. He played in all 82 games scoring 10.2 PPG on 54.9% shooting from the field and grabbing 5.7 RPG. One year removed from teetering on NBA bust, Zeller appears to have a solid NBA career in front of him. Expect his 21.1 minutes per game to increase significantly. I always considered Kelly Olynyk a stretch four, but he may have to play some stretch five this season. While he’s an above average 3-point shooter for a big, he doesn’t have much of an inside game or a mid-range jumper. He’s also not the world’s greatest defender. If you’re not from the Boston area, you may know him best for injuring Kevin Love in the first round of last season’s playoffs. He logged more minutes than Zeller last season, but that will most likely change this season. If the C’s decide to move one of their young bigs, I would be least surprised if it’s Olynyk.

Final thoughts: As an admitted Celtics hater, I was displeased with the progress they made last year. They took an often-injured and supremely overrated and immature prima donna (and Dwight Powell) and tricked the Dallas Mavericks into sending them Brendan Wright, Jae Crowder, Jameer Nelson, and draft picks. You saw what happened to the second half of Dallas’s season? Everything I hoped that would happen to the second half of the Celtics’ season! Good job, Danny! You made Dallas look as foolish as you made Brooklyn look in 2013… Evan Turner is supremely underappreciated. Yeah, he was a #2 pick, and from that perspective he failed to live up to expectations, but he’s an excellent rebounder for his position and a solid on-the-ball defender. He’s a steal for the C’s playing for just $3.4 million and if he didn’t have such a rocky tenure in Indiana, I think he could’ve received both a longer and bigger contract… The Celtics have solid guards but none of them are stars… I like Isaiah Thomas’s contract but I don’t think I’ll ever understand Avery Bradley’s… I despise hearing about Perry Jones’ “potential.” It’s over for this dude. The same thing goes for Jeremy Lamb and Thomas Robinson. Please, if your squad picks one of these guys up, DO NOT talk to me about his “tremendous upside.” Those days have passed… I think R.J Hunter can be a good NBA player; I don’t think James Young can be a good NBA player… Brad Stephens has done an excellent job with this team. I couldn’t cite a team who “overperformed” more than last year’s Celtics… The C’s will do the same thing they did last year: visit the playoffs, and then get sent home.

2015/16 Team Preview: Atlanta Hawks

Additions: Tim Hardaway Jr., Justin Holiday, Jason Richardson, Tiago Splitter

Tiago Splitter is undoubtedly the most interesting new piece in Atlanta. The Hawks have long struggled to find a quality big to back up Al Horford and they finally found the right guy! I assume Splitter will play more minutes with the Hawks than he did in San Antonio and wouldn’t be surprised if he returns to the guy that the Spurs signed to a 4-yr/$36 million dollar deal after the 2012/13 season. I also expect to see a spike in Splitter’s rebounds and blocks totals. Keep in mind that he played under Coach Bud for his first three seasons in San Antonio where both player and coach had moderate success. There’s no doubt that Tiago will be a vast improvement to Pero Antic and the ghost of Elton Brand. Sure, Splitter isn’t going to help the Hawks spread the floor offensively, but he’s certainly gonna add some down low toughness to a team that ranked 28^th in rebounds per game last season.

If you’re a Hawks fan, you might be asking yourself, “How the fuck did we get Tim Hardaway Jr.?” Then when I tell you that you traded your 15^th overall pick in 2015 (where Washington selected Kelly Oubre Jr.) and two future second-round picks for him, I expect you to sigh on cue. It’s not that I’m a Hardaway Jr. hater, I’m just a disbeliever. It’s not just me, Carmelo Anthony wanted to “beat him up” last December (allegedly). Hardaway has scored over 10 PPG in both of his two NBA seasons, but that’s about all he did – score on a bad team. And score inefficiently. He shot a shade below 39% from the field last season while his PER dipped to 12.1 and OWS plummeted to 0.8. He’s also a rather crummy defender. In his two seasons, he’s averaged 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks per game. Not that those two stats tell a defender’s complete story, but in this case, they’re no misleading either. Perhaps Coach Bud sees something in Hardaway that the rest of us don’t, but many believe the trade was made solely to save at least $500,00 in cap space by not having to pay the 15^th overall pick the required rookie salary.

Jason Richardson? Good luck. Maybe he’s still got something left in the tank. But similar to Rip Hamilton with the Bulls a few years back, I don’t think he does. As someone who has watched the Sixers night in and night out for the least two seasons, I don’t know anything more about him than you do—he never played. In all fairness; however, Richardson is a class act. He could’ve have easily thrown in the towel two years back but he committed to rehab and was dedicated to getting back on the floor. Maybe he’ll score 15 points in three or four games. But I think that’s more or less his ceiling.

Subtractions: Pero Antic, Elton Brand, DeMarre Carroll, Austin Daye, John Jenkins

DeMarre Carroll is the only substantial loss for the Hawks entering this season. Carroll has evolved into the quintessential “3-and-D” guy. Last year was his breakthrough season as he averaged career-highs in points (12.6), field goal percentage (48.7%), three pointers made (1.7), and three point percentage (39.5%). Unfortunately for the Hawks, Carroll entered free agency at the prime of his young career and was rewarded with a 4-yr/$60 million deal from Toronto. Not only was DeMarre perhaps the teams’ best perimeter defender, but he also helped space the floor leaving room for bigs to post and guards to shoot threes. It looks like the combination of Thabo Sefolosha and Tim Hardaway Jr. have big shoes to fill.

Rookies: Lamar Patterson, Terran Petteway, Walter Tavares

Atlanta doesn’t have the most promising rookie pool, exemplifying how much the Hawks want to win now. Of the three, Lamar Patterson may be the most ready to contribute immediately. Although he mostly played small forward in college, Patterson will be relegated to playing off guard in the pros where, at 6’5”, he’s still undersized. Furthermore, he’s allegedly in the best shape of his life shedding almost twenty pounds since he was drafted a year ago. Patterson’s an above average passer and a decent mid-range shooter, but to stick with the Hawks (and perhaps in the NBA) he’s going to have to develop his three point shooting.

Guards: It would be difficult to find a team with more depth at the point guard than Atlanta. Jeff Teague is now a bona fide All-Star and Dennis Schroeder is a top-tier back-up with the potential to one day start in this league (although it will most likely be elsewhere). Kyle Korver’s value to the offense cannot be overstated; last season, he was third in the league in three pointers made (221) and second in the three-point percentage (49.2%). More importantly, he’s deadly coming off pick and rolls and has greatly improved his ability to create his own shot. I’m not totally excited about the rest of the Hawks’ backcourt. Kent Bazemore can score in flashes and has worked to become a better defender, but for some reason I think Hardaway Jr. is gonna eat up his minutes. Jason Richardson and Shelvin Mack will get to watch a lot of Hawks basketball.

Forwards: Paul Millsap is essential to the Atlanta’s success. Without him, they’d be sunk; so it was certainly good news for Hawks’ fans when he spurned the Magic and their max offer sheet to re-sign in Atlanta. Over his 73 games last season, Millsap lead the Hawks in both PPG (16.7) and RPG (7.8). After rarely even attempting threes in Utah, he has expanded his game (and the floor) by knocking down the occasional three. Furthermore, since landing in Atlanta, Millsap has been a far more consistent defensive player – he led power forwards in steals last season (1.8). Once again, with the departure of DeMarre Carroll, the Hawks will certainly depend on their wing players stepping up. Thabo Sefolosha is still an excellent perimeter defender, but doesn’t offer particularly much on the offensive end of the floor. Although Mike Scott did some nice things last season, he ended up falling out of Coach Bud’s rotation during the playoffs last season; and right now, he has bigger issues to worry about than basketball.

Centers: Let me be clear: Al Horford is the Hawks’ best player. When Joe Johnson and Josh Smith were in Atlanta, Al Horford was still their best player. However, injuries have plagued Horford throughout his career, most notably in 2011/12 and 2013/14 when he played 11 games and 29 games respectively. In turn, the Hawks success strongly depends on both Horford’s health and his ability to lead. He’s a well-rounded player who contributes to the Hawks’ success on both ends of the floor. He averages about 15 PPG on 54% shooting from the field and has a career average of 9.2 RPG. As outstanding as the Hawks’ backcourt is, the team’s 2015/16 success rests mainly on the shoulders of Horford and Millsap. Although both players are commonly cited as undersized for their positions, with the aforementioned acquisition of Tiago Splitter, Atlanta’s frontcourt should be much approved. Shout to Mike Muscala, too! His abilities are obviously limited, but I like what he brings off the bench and I assume that his role on the team will only expand next season.

Final thoughts: I love the Hawks’ big four! Millsap and Horford are amongst the elite PF/C combinations in the league. Jeff Teague has risen towards the top of a crop of elite point guards, and there isn’t another player in this league that can do what Kyle Korver does… Tiago Splitter is a nice addition that should sure up their frontcourt… Atlanta’s biggest deficiency is their wing players… Schroeder may prove to be one of the league’s best backup point guards this season… Some people think Tim Hardaway Jr. is a bum. He will have the opportunity to prove them wrong… Despite bailing on the Clippers to fail to live up to expectations in Philadelphia, Elton Brand had a very solid career. Best wishes to him… Many believe that the Hawks cannot compete because they don’t have that “guy.” They do. Al Horford is that good. Last season, it felt like everyone believed Atlanta was a mirage, waiting for them to slip in the regular season, then assuming they’ll get worked in the playoffs. I didn’t ever think they were better than Cleveland, but they were better than everyone else in the East. People who think the Bucks or the Wizards are gonna outperform Atlanta this season are crazy. Give the Hawks their due!

Prediction: First in the Southeast Division; Third in the Eastern Conference