Jump to content
  • Current Donation Goals

    • Raised $390 of $700 target

Hawks have a new team this season..


Gray Mule

Recommended Posts

What happened?  Look at the projected starting five.  Doesn't look that much different from last season.  The Hawks have the #4 draft pick thought of as a starter.  All the remainder looks the same, doesn't it?  What's the big deal?  And, they did resign their old man, VC.  So, what's the deal?  They won 29 last season and look at who's gone.  How can anyone believe that they will be better?  OK.  Lets give them one or two wins - - 30 or 31.

Let's look closer.  We of the Squawk nation see things in a different light.  For starters, we believe the starting five will be a lot more like the team that claimed Atlanta for home after the all star game and not the one who opened the season.  We almost all believe that, due to the new blood and the maturity of the young players, Atlanta will be better on defense and will still score at a high rate.

Many Squawk people felt that signing VC was one of the best off season moves that the Hawks made.  He is a leader.  He has the experience that all the young players look up to.  He will be a great help in leading these very young Hawks into maturity.  This is my thinking and I believe most here agree.

Finally, look at all the players signed and traded for.  They make up most of our bench.  Bembry is back but the remainder we don't really know.  Players that, for some reason or other, didn't quiet fit in where they were.  Perhaps they will fit here.  We will wait and see.  And, there are two of our new draft picks, Cam and Bruno, who we expect to make a splash this season.

If Atlanta improves again after the all star game like they did last season, look out !!  We will just keep our Hawks a secret here and not share with everyone else.  This way, we can sneak up on the NBA.  They expect us to improve 1 or 2 victories.  SURPRISE !  SUPRISE !!

:smug:

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Final_quest said:

They lost some key players, too.  Dedmon, Prince, and Bazemore.  I think we have improved our long term roster, but it may not show up in the win column.  Rookies take time to develop.  

Only one of those players fit last year and he was replacement level center. Prince didn't fit, his best position in our current setup is at the 4. Bazemore just didn't fit, this system asked too much of him and he tried to do too much that's not in his wheelhouse. He is in a MUCH better situation for him in Portland. But none of these guys were big loss. In fact, two needed to go. Bazemore/Young was a -9.5 on the court together. Prince was a negative with all starters. Dedmon is clearly the best value but he is just replacement level. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes.  We will miss everyone who was here last season but are gone.  Rookies take time to develop.  Also true.  Dedmon, the one missed the most.  Len has worked very hard this summer.  He says that he feels that he has improved a lot.  Damian comes here, seeking to prove to everyone that he is a legitimate NBA center and Bruno wants to prove to everyone that he is really a first round talent and show those who passed him by what a mistake that they made.

NBASupes has said, Bazemore and Prince were good players but didn't really fit here.  I agree.  Trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.  Hopefully, both will be a much better fit with their new team.

Hawks still have a lot of games to lose.  Too many very young, inexperienced players to expect otherwise.  There are wins out there, just waiting to be plucked off the tree.  As we grow, more and more of these victories will be ours for the taking.  Only winning 1/2 of our games is not, in my opinion, too much to expect.  Being healthy is the key here.  41-41 in 2019-20, slip into the playoffs, scare whoever we face and then hit the next season as one of the favorites!!

:smug:

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

We will be improved ... I don't think that will be reflected in the win total ... I think it will be more with the players ... lack of D, no center and so much youth will keep us in the low 30s this year.  In a couple years look out for this team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, capstone21 said:

We will be improved ... I don't think that will be reflected in the win total ... I think it will be more with the players ... lack of D, no center and so much youth will keep us in the low 30s this year.  In a couple years look out for this team.

Lack of D:  How long will it take for Hunter to get to 4 fouls?  Not very long, I believe.  All three of our rookies must learn.  But, they were drafted with defense in mind.  Hawks will start off with porous defense but it will improve very fast.

No center?  Perhaps.  However Alex, Damian and Bruno will put up a terrific effort to prove that thought to be void.  And, all of us wish them success.

I believe half our games will be victories.  That's 41.  Quiet a jump from low 30's but I am convinced they are capable of making that jump.

:smug:

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin
15 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Lack of 😧 How long will it take for Hunter to get to 4 fouls?  Not very long, I believe.  All three of our rookies must learn.  But, they were drafted with defense in mind.  Hawks will start off with porous defense but it will improve very fast.

No center?  Perhaps.  However Alex, Damian and Bruno will put up a terrific effort to prove that thought to be void.  And, all of us wish them success.

I believe half our games will be victories.  That's 41.  Quiet a jump from low 30's but I am convinced they are capable of making that jump.

:smug:

I don't know if Bruno is ready for primetime this season and Alex/Damian isn't anything to really brag about.  Hopfully they show they belong.

Yes, our rooks are known to play D but they are rooks.  They might not quite be ready to really contribute for a while ... Also they basically play the same position.  We have terrible d at pg and pf, really bad d at sg and average at C ... hopefully, we can find some improvement there at some point.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After looking over our current roster and watching many hi light films and many, many "talking heads" videos, I have concluded there is only one thing that keeps this season's Hawk team from being very, very good.  Experience.

Our young center, Alex Len has set for his goal this season:  The most improved trophy.  Hope he gets it.  Damian Jones is still young and willing to learn.  Bruno Fernando will be a beast.  A coaches dream to have these three to work with.

Hawks are very deep in wings.  Big, long armed wings who can shoot and play defense.  Trae and Huerter have both put on some muscle power.  Collins is working on defense. 

And, we have our young 42 year old pro back to help keep all that youth enthusiasm herded in the right direction.

Experience.  That great teacher which we currently lack.  As this season goes on and on, experience will begin to show.  Dang, it's still a long way until tipoff for the season. 

:smug: 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

All the talk I have heard about this season's Hawk team has covered the returning players from last season + our three rookie draft picks.

This is great.  Everyone wants to know about these players and how they will all fit together as a team.  What about our "other" new Hawks?  Seems that they are seldom mentioned and then, nothing of importance is said about them.

Who are these players that we traded for?  That were signed as free agents?  And, finally, the two players who have our allotted 2 way contracts?

Since this is a "dead time" in the 12 month NBA season, please help fill in this time with your thoughts about these players....

:hi:

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This year’s bench is a step up from last year’s:

Turner > Adams

 Crabbe > Gaze (shooting)

Cam > Anderson

Parker > Spellman

Len = Len

Combined with the continued growth of Pierce, Trae, Huerter, Collins, and the addition of Hunter and Bruno, Hawks go from (almost) 30 wins to 41 and accidentally make the playoffs in 3rd year of rebuild. Just like I e said from the  beginning 👏🏽

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, benhillboy said:

Don’t mean to derail the topic but I know @Gray Mule follows the Braves like I do. How much fun are these guys right now?!  As stellar as the combo of Schlenk and Trae is, AA is looking like a wizard and Acuna a budding All Time Great.  World Series or not there’s no team in baseball I’d rather watch and it ain’t close.   Back to our regularly scheduled program lol.

Hey Benny, take it over to the baseball section ⚾️...we are discussing it with Sturt, the Nats fan over there. #chopshop 👏 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...