+/- On last year's win total

[Dragitoff]

We all want to see our team trade for Chris Paul and get Shaq somehow, but let's say we don't. If we only make minimal moves like Kurt Thomas for part of the MLE, Sign Craig Smith for LLE, Sign Damien Wilkins for min., Sign 3rd PG for min. We discussed in another post that our win total could be very similar since Miami took 3 out of 4 against us and they've without a doubt made the most improvement of any team in the NBA. Chicago looks to be better, but they have their flaws as well and we dismantled them when we played them. Added a vet big man like Thomas may be just as good defensively at slowing Dwight Howard down. How many games can this team realistically win?

Bibby/Teague/FA

Johnson/Crawford/Crawford

Williams/Wilkins/Evans

Smith/Smith

Horford/Thomas/Pachulia

That's 14 men that would probably still keep us under the luxury tax, but still using the trade money for vet talent. You might not be able to add Wilkins or the 3rd PG, but you get the jest of what I'm trying to say.

[NineOhTheRino]

.500

[coachx]

I'd say 51 - 53 wins. Just about the same as last year. I think we will better come playoff time b/c Teague would be through with much of his growing pains and Craig Smith's physicality would be needed off the bench more then Joe Smith.

There will be some growing pains with Teague and with a new offensive system.

[clicklandshopping]

We all want to see our team trade for Chris Paul and get Shaq somehow, but let's say we don't. If we only make minimal moves like Kurt Thomas for part of the MLE, Sign Craig Smith for LLE, Sign Damien Wilkins for min., Sign 3rd PG for min. We discussed in another post that our win total could be very similar since Miami took 3 out of 4 against us and they've without a doubt made the most improvement of any team in the NBA. Chicago looks to be better, but they have their flaws as well and we dismantled them when we played them. Added a vet big man like Thomas may be just as good defensively at slowing Dwight Howard down. How many games can this team realistically win?

Bibby/Teague/FA

Johnson/Crawford/Crawford

Williams/Wilkins/Evans

Smith/Smith

Horford/Thomas/Pachulia

That's 14 men that would probably still keep us under the luxury tax, but still using the trade money for vet talent. You might not be able to add Wilkins or the 3rd PG, but you get the jest of what I'm trying to say.

45 to 50 wins

[Dragitoff]

Would we be happy with that kind of team? Does that team have any real chance of contending for a title? I've really been thinking about it lately. I want us to be considered contenders. At least look like we belong in the playoffs rather than getting our butts handed to us in the 2nd round.

People argued not to trade Marvin because he's our only true SF and best perimeter defender....check

People argued we need a big body, smart vet to keep Dwight from scoring at an 80% clip.....check

We need a back to the basket big man that can make other defenses work....well, half a check

Better offensive ball movement......should be check (this is key)

If everyone remembers how amazing we were at the beginning of the season. We were #1 in many of the power rankings. How was that? We were averaging over 20 apg and moving the ball well. it was when we fell into the iso Joe/iso Craw habit that our offense sputtered. If Drew's offensive scheme works, and we move the ball like we did early last season, can we maintain that dominance throughout the next season with nearly the same team? Only time will tell.

[Uuus]

Would we be happy with that kind of team? Does that team have any real chance of contending for a title? I've really been thinking about it lately. I want us to be considered contenders. At least look like we belong in the playoffs rather than getting our butts handed to us in the 2nd round.

If everyone's the same caliber player as last year, then No. As a young team, we are dependent on the growth of our players more than the Heat or the Lakers or the Magic. It all depends on what Teague, Marvin, Josh, and Al bring w/ them this year. Last year, Josh and Al took huge steps forward. Marvin and Bibby regressed but Josh and Al's improvement offset that.

This year, 2 things will determine how far we go:

1. The individual developments of our young players' games. Teague, Marvin, Josh, and Al have to get better. If one of them takes a huge step forward, it makes us that much more dangerous. I believe these things are a given: bibby will continue to decline; joe, jamal, mo, and zaza will probably be the same players they were last year. Our team development lies in the development of the younger part of our "core."

2. Does LD's coaching and system make us a more cohesive team? Does it help improve our players effectiveness by putting them in better positions to utilize their strengths? I think we all know what we can expect from Joe: 20 ppg, 5 rpg, 5apg. Will LD's system make him more effective and even more lethal than he was in Woody's Iso (non)-system? Or god forbid, will LD's system lead to less cohesion and less effectiveness?

Its all on LD, Teague, Marvin, Josh, and Al as to how much better we are going to be this year.

[AHF]

If we only make minimal moves like Kurt Thomas for part of the MLE, Sign Craig Smith for LLE, Sign Damien Wilkins for min.,

That would be a dream offseason at this point for the Hawks. I would applaud that outcome if we could get it, but I don't think we will get a group of FAs that good.

[spotatl]

Where are all the people that thought Woodson was the worst coach in history and the hawks woudl be dramatically better with any other coach?

[Outlaw]

43 wins

[AHF]

Where are all the people that thought Woodson was the worst coach in history and the hawks woudl be dramatically better with any other coach?

My hope is that we will be dramatically better prepared for the post-season. I don't think the regular season will be that much different but with a remarkably healthy team running a short rotation and predictable style is not a real problem in the regular season. Moreover, we will likely take the steps we needed to take last year to make Teague a factor in the playoffs which is about trading some short-term regular season success for long-term upside and flexibility. All in all, I see us being near a 50 win team and giving a much better post-season effort in the playoffs. That will represent progress in my book.

[NineOhTheRino]

Where are all the people that thought Woodson was the worst coach in history and the hawks woudl be dramatically better with any other coach?

they will soon learn that Woody got the most out of what he was given.

[AHF]

they will soon learn that Woody got the most out of what he was given.

We'll see that come playoff time.

[spotatl]

I think the odds of the Hawks not making it to the second round are far higher than the Hawks advancing past the second round

[pimp]

We'll see that come playoff time.

Woodro got owned by Skiles in the playoffs

Woody didn't make any adjustments until he got called out by the

owner,the gm, national media, local media, and Sekou

[pimp]

I think the odds of the Hawks not making it to the second round are far higher than the Hawks advancing past the second round

The east has gotten better, but the Hawks haven't.

Also they had the healthiest starting lineup in the nba last year.They might not be so lucky this season.

[Nicholasp27]

they will soon learn that Woody got the most out of what he was given.

el oh el

woody admittedly put NO offensive plan in place, yet you think he got the most out of what he was given? no plan is the best possible plan?

[spotatl]

Woodson got career years out of Joe, Crawford, Horford, and Josh last season. The Hawks had a top 5 offense in the league. Whatever he was doing got good results. THe team would too often settle for long 2 point jumpers instead of taking the ball inside to draw contact and in the end it killed them but its pretty ridiculous to discout the production that Woodson got out of the team.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Orlando, Miami, and New York all won 3 games against us last season. That could happen again. 9 total

Chicago, Milwaukee, and I'll throw in Washington, will be stronger. I'll say combined, those teams can win 5 games

Sweeping Boston was a dream. I'll say that we split next year. We'll also split with Charlotte. 4 games total

The rest of the East we should have little trouble with. 4 losses total.

Out West, the only team to sweep us, was Oklahoma City. We were 21 - 9 vs the West last year. I don't see that changing much. I'll say we go 21 - 9 again.

So that 22 East losses + 9 West losses = 31 losses.

As is right now, we're a 51 - 31 team. But that also means we're probably the #5 seed, and will be on the road for the 1st round of the playoffs.

That is NOT good. That's a 1st round WAR vs either Boston or Chicago most likely. Us not having home court in a series like that, could spell the end of our season for us very quickly.

[HawksBalla]

Orlando, Miami, and New York all won 3 games against us last season. That could happen again. 9 total

Chicago, Milwaukee, and I'll throw in Washington, will be stronger. I'll say combined, those teams can win 5 games

Sweeping Boston was a dream. I'll say that we split next year. We'll also split with Charlotte. 4 games total

The rest of the East we should have little trouble with. 4 losses total.

Out West, the only team to sweep us, was Oklahoma City. We were 21 - 9 vs the West last year. I don't see that changing much. I'll say we go 21 - 9 again.

So that 22 East losses + 9 West losses = 31 losses.

As is right now, we're a 51 - 31 team. But that also means we're probably the #5 seed, and will be on the road for the 1st round of the playoffs.

That is NOT good. That's a 1st round WAR vs either Boston or Chicago most likely. Us not having home court in a series like that, could spell the end of our season for us very quickly.

+1

I think we win around 48 games, simply because we are probably the fifth best team at best in the East. And like others said, there will be growing pains with LD's new offense, Teague, and the inevitable clash between LD and Smoove to establish who is top dog in the locker room.

[AHF]

I think the odds of the Hawks not making it to the second round are far higher than the Hawks advancing past the second round

Last year, we won a 7 game series against arguably the weakest playoff team in the last decade. The Bucks started Kurt Thomas, Carlos Delfino and Luc Mbah a Moute along with a backcourt that shot 40.8% FG/29%3pt and 40.4%FG/17%3pt and their primary reserves were mid-season free agent and 35 year old Stackhouse and 2005 NBA Draft Second Round Pick Ersan Ilysova (who had 66 games under his belt coming into this season).

If we run into that team again this season and don't run over them like a Mack Truck, I will be very, very disappointed with Drew.

Edited July 16, 2010 by AHF