Peachtree Hoops: Hawks garner increased respect in Las Vegas over/under projection

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Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

A bit higher this time around.

The desert of the NBA offseason is here and, while the Atlanta Hawks did make a signing on Thursday, most of the basketball-related activity in late July revolves around early projections for next season. To that end, an off-shore outlet placed the opening over/under for the Hawks at 32.5 wins earlier in July but, on Thursday, the good folks at Caesars Entertainment in Las Vegas set the bar a bit higher.

While the Hawks are projected in the same tier as a team expected to miss the playoffs, Caesars pegs Atlanta’s win total at 36 victories.

NBA Season wins now available ... Must play 81 games for action pic.twitter.com/ziwVvAzFTs

— Jeff Davis (@The_Junkyard) July 25, 2019

It is always important to note that these figures are designed to driving betting action and, while (very) informed, it isn’t a perfect statistical projection. Still, Atlanta sits at No. 10 in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Detroit Pistons (37.5) and comfortably ahead of the Chicago Bulls (30.5) at this juncture.

The Hawks are led by a youth movement — headlined by Trae Young, John Collins, DeAndre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter — and internal growth could lead to significant improvements in a very short amount of time. There are questions, particularly on the defensive end and with how the team’s rookies will fare in their maiden voyages, but Atlanta has a talented, intriguing roster and the “experts” in the desert are taking more and more notice.

Stay tuned.

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