Is It Too Soon?

[dakast]

Is it too soon to predict how many games the Hawks will win this season? If it's not, then i'll be the first to make a prediction....

I think the Hawks will win between 38 and 42 games this season.

[AtLaS]

We may need to see/hear a few preseason games first, but I'll go on record and say 40+ wins.

[thesheedera]

I'd love to be more optomistic but I think we end up around 36-38 wins. Injuries are a part of the game and we have some guys who are brittle. Our coach has never really showed me that he can win a game on strategy. We're still young as all get out (and somehow Marvin is STILL the youngest on the roster!) and we didn't get much older as we added two rookies and dropped Batista and Ivey.

I think our team will be much better, but I don't expect a huge jump in the win column.

We should be the bad teams more often but I think the good teams will start to take us more seriously, so we won't be sneaking up on as many of them as we have in the past.

And the East is only getting stronger.

36-38 wins, somewhere around 10th in the East.

Hopefully by the end of the season teh ownership situation is resolved, and we'll be a perfect team for a coach to come help get to the level of the real big boys.

[frosgrim]

Baring injuries, I agree that 38-42 has to be the goal for the team. They have the players to do it.

The real question is do they have the coaching to get them there?

[DavidSomerset]

I'm saying 38 wins +- 5 depending on whether we get good or bad luck over the course of the season.

38 should be the median # of wins for this team, IMO.

[thesheedera]

Despite my prediction, I think a top notch coach could win 45 games with this team.

[mrhonline]

When the Big 4 (JJ, Smith, Childress, Marvin) all logged at least 20+ minutes, the Hawks were 15-19 last season. Over the course of an entire season, that projects to 36 wins.

If we assume better health, the additions of Law & Horford, more experience, and some actual chemistry should be worth at least 2 wins. I think 38-42 is a good range. 45 wins is the max, IMO.

[exodus]

I'll go with 42 wins.

Their weaknesses will be inexperienc, turnovers and the lack of a true defensive center.

Their strengths will be young, energetic legs and depth. I think they will be able to pull out some wins just with effort/energy like Chicago frequently does.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

45 - 47 wins . . . if healthy and if the rookies contribute right away.

42 wins if healthy and the rookies take a little longer to become decent players.

There are no Iveys, Batistas, Bozemans, or Frijies that will be seeing significant minutes this year. Our 2nd unit should easily be able to sustain leads if we're ahead, or keep us in games if we're behind.

That alone, will keep a guy like JJ fresh for the 4th quarter.

[Lascar78]

I'll take a 41-41 record and a 8 seed.

[Peoriabird]

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I'll go with 42 wins.

Their weaknesses will be inexperienc, turnovers and the lack of a true defensive center.

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I don't buy that inexperienced excuse anymore! Chicago's main players were about the same age as our main players 2 years ago and they won. They also won without any post up game what-so-ever! They won last year with a 6'7" center with no offense and declining defensive skills. They won with an inconsistent 6'2" shooting guard! Their best all around player was 21 years old in Deng. Sorry, if Chicago can win with that cast, We should win with the appropriate coaching!

[Dejay]

I'll say 37 wins give or take a couple. Several teams in the East has improved their rosters and I'm still not completely sold that this team has enough firepower on offense to consistently stay in ballgames.

[mrhonline]

What's your prediction, Peoria?

[Peoriabird]

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What's your prediction, Peoria?

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42-46 wins

[drzachary]

The Hawks will win between 323 and 498 games over the next ten seasons.

[Yubs]

40 wins.

[exodus]

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I'll go with 42 wins.

Their weaknesses will be inexperienc, turnovers and the lack of a true defensive center.

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I don't buy that inexperienced excuse anymore! Chicago's main players were about the same age as our main players 2 years ago and they won. They also won without any post up game what-so-ever! They won last year with a 6'7" center with no offense and declining defensive skills. They won with an inconsistent 6'2" shooting guard! Their best all around player was 21 years old in Deng. Sorry, if Chicago can win with that cast, We should win with the appropriate coaching!

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Like it or not the Hawks are still inexperienced. They just aren't as green as we are used to.

Chicago won 47 games two years ago which is only 5 more than i predicted for the Hawks. The big advantage they had was their interior D. Chandler and Antonio Davis make their living on the defensive end.

Last year Chicagos defense was 6th in the league in pts allowed at 93.76 and 2nd in the league fg percentage defense at 43.5% allowed. We were 23rd at 46.6%.

BTW Ben Wallace has 4 DPOY awards.

Funny that you criticize my reasoning but your prediction on the number of wins is almost identical to mine.

[mrhonline]

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The Hawks will win between 323 and 498 games over the next ten seasons.

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[Buzzard]

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I'll take a 41-41 record and a 8 seed.

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I agree. A .500 record will get us at least an eighth seed. Maybe we get lucky and draw a banged up Shaq and Wade....

Funny how things change. Not in a million years would I have ever thought I would say drawing Shaq in any playoff round would be a good thing. And it has been about 5 years since I really thought we will make the playoffs!

[Vafan]

Min 38 wins. Max is 45 wins. Anything less than 38 wins, then BK and Woody walks the plank.