Atlanta Hawks
Team Outlook-
The Atlanta Hawks finished 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record last season. After defeating the Boston Celtics in the opening round, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals. The Hawks shook up the roster during the offseason by trading Jeff Teague and losing Al Horford in free agency to Boston. They will be replaced in the starting lineup by Dennis Schroder and Dwight Howard. Paul Millsap is the steady engine that drives the team. Expect the Hawks to take a step back this season while still contending for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Projected Starting Lineup
Point Guard- Dennis Schroder-
With Jeff Teague traded to the Indiana Pacers, Dennis Schroder will now lead the offense in Atlanta. Schroder took the next step last season averaging career highs of 11.0 points/per game and 4.4 assists/per game in a limited 20.3 min/per game. Schroder is expected to see a significant bump in minutes this season as the team doesn’t have many reliable options at the position. He is expected to play minutes in the mid-30s. If you project his 2015-2016 stats out over a per 36 minutes basis, he averages 19.5 points/per game and 7.8 assists/per game. Keep an eye on Schroders minutes and DFS salary during the early part of the season. There is a chance that he may be severely underpriced if going off of last season’s usage.
Shooting Guard- Kyle Korver -
Kyle Korver is a three-point specialist who struggled last season averaging 39.9% from behind the arc, his lowest total over the past 8 years. Korver spent all of the 2015 offseason rehabbing from ankle and elbow surgeries. It seemed as though he could never find his groove last season. Expect a bounce back season if Korver can stay healthy. For fantasy, Korver usually carries a low floor because he is reliant on his scoring. Thus, he is more of a GPP tournament target rather than a cash game play.
Small Forward- Kent Bazemore-
Kent Bazemore re-signed with the Hawks with a four-year deal worth $70 million. Bazemore is expected to have a larger role in the offense this season. Bazemore said that he is “working on setting up players, setting up plays, and making sure that he is in the right position on defense and those kind of small details.” With the loss of Jeff Teague and Al Horford, Bazemore should have an opportunity to see a bump in his fantasy value this season.
Power Forward- Paul Millsap-
Paul Millsap had a strong 2015-2016 season averaging 17.1 points/per game, a career-high 9.0 rebounds/per game, a career-high 1.8 steals/per game, and a career-high 1.7 blocks/per game in 32.7 minutes/per game. Millsap is a steady source of fantasy production night in and night out which often makes him a good DFS cash game target. Millsap is a player that goes overlooked for fantasy because he doesn’t have a flashy image.
Center- Dwight Howard-
Dwight Howard returned to his hometown agreeing to a three-year $70.5 million deal. Howard was inconsistent last season averaging 13.7 points/per game, his lowest since his rookie season. His knees have been an issue as he missed 11 games last season. Howard said he is coming to the team with a “different mentality” and “wants to do whatever he can to bring a championship home.” The Hawks are a team that shares the ball similar to the San Antonio Spurs. Expect Howard to toe the line and be a better real-life player for the Hawks than he will be for your fantasy team.
Key Bench Players
Tim Hardaway Jr.-SG- Tim Hardaway Jr. said that he “put in work this offseason to improve as a shooter.” He also said that he “feels more confident driving to the basket and operating in pick-and-roll sets. Hardaway Jr. projects to backup Kyle Korver at Shooting Guard, which won’t leave him with much fantasy value.
Thabo Sefolosha-SF, SG- Thabo Sefolosha will back up Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore. Sefolosha is primarily a defensive player who holds minimal fantasy value.
Kris Humphries-PF, C- Kris Humphries re-signed with the Hawks to a one-year $4 million deal. Humphries will be the primary backup behind Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard. If either Millsap or Howard are out, Humphries will see a bump in his fantasy value.
Mike Scott-PF- Mike Scott status with the team is up in the air. Scott is facing up to 25 years in prison on two felony drug charges after police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of Schedule 1 drug MDMA, commonly referred to Molly, in his vehicle in July 2015. Scott plead not guilty and the case is not expected to be heard until sometime later this year.
Tiago Splitter-C- Tiago Splitter had hip surgery this past February. All reports are that he has made good progress and hopes are that he can backup Dwight Howard to start the season. If Howard is out for a period of time, expect the Hawks to make a move as Splitter is not capable of playing big minutes.
Key Offseason Acquisitions
Jarrett Jack-PG- After the Brooklyn Nets waived Jarrett Jack, the Hawks signed him to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum. Jack had right knee surgery this past January to repair a torn ACL and meniscus. Jack has been limited during training camp while doing mainly non-contact drills. Expect the Hawks to bring Jack along very slowly as he will eventually transition into the backup Point Guard spot.
Malcolm Delaney-PG- Malcolm Delaney agreed to a two-year $1.4 million deal with the Hawks. The 27-year old has spent the past six years playing in Europe. He is buried on the depth chart behind Dennis Schroder and Jarrett Jack.
Key Offseason Departures
Jeff Teague-PG- The Hawks traded Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers as part of a three-way deal. George Hill went to the Utah Jazz and the Hawks received the 12th pick in the NBA draft, which they used on Baylor Small Forward, Taurean Prince.
Al Horford-C- Al Horford agreed to a four-year $113 million deal with the Boston Celtics. The Hawks will miss Horford as he was a great fit with the Hawks.