2023-24 Hawks Roster and Season Previews

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[sturt]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

General manager Landry Fields and owner Tony Ressler waited far too long to trade John Collins

 

 

  

59 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

The deal solved an impending luxury-tax problem, but didn’t improve the roster.

Well. My goodness, Jeff. What do you want? Roster improvement or solving the "impending luxury tax problem?" Be reasonable man. Where are your priorities. If the roster has to take another step back, okay then. Happy owner, happy life. That's what we always say.

 

[sturt]

5 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

The major roster upgrade: 35-year-old Patty Mills.

Wut?

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

On 9/21/2023 at 5:40 AM, Final_quest said:

I say DM because he really slumped in the second half of the season.  Every lineup he was in had negative numbers.  He has to show he can fit with Trae and be a net positive player without him.  

 

We had 11 of our top 5-man lineups ( in minutes ) last season that posted a ( + ) number.  I like to look at how many times each guy was playing in one of those lineups.

• Okongwu - 8 . . . (  in all of the top 5 lineups . . . biggest positive impact on the team )
• Murray - 8 . . . ( in 5 of those lineups he was the lead PG )
• Bogi - 7 . . . ( in 5 of the top 6 lineups )
• Trae - 6 . . . ( leader of the #1 lineup: Trae - Bogi - Bey - JJ - Okongwu )
• JJ - 5 . . . ( in 3 of the top 5 lineups )
• AJ - 5 . . . ( teamed with Okongwu in all 5 lineups )
• Collins - 5
• Hunter - 4
• Bey - 2
• Capela - 2 . . . ( kind of shocked at this, to be honest . . . and makes a huge case for Okongwu to be the starter )
• A. Holiday - 2
• J. Holiday - 1

 

On the flip side, 9 of our top 5-man lineups had a ( - ) number:

• Murray - 8 . . . ( played in all 5 of the worst lineups )
• Bogi - 6 . . . ( played in 4 of the 5 worst lineups )
• Capela - 5 . . . ( once again, shocking that he was in this many ( - ) lineups )
• Hunter - 5 . . . ( honestly afraid this was going to be more )
• Trae - 5 . . . ( paired with Murray in 4 out of 5 lineups )
• Okongwu - 4 . . . ( shockingly a part of the worst lineup: Murray - Bogi - Hunter - Collins - Okongwu )
• Collins - 4
• Bey - 3
• JJ - 2
• AJ - 1
• A. Holiday - 1
• J. Holiday - 1

 

Overall though, the top 3 lineups that played the most minutes, were ( + ) lineups.  Problem is, they weren't overwhelmingly on the ( + ) side, which is why we were a .500 team for the vast majority of the season.

The big thing is that we need Okongwu on the floor a lot more, to see if his impact will translate across the board, for longer stretches in the game.  Hopefully Quin's and his staff sees this, and doesn't get enamored by the perceived impact of Capela vs Okongwu, over what the data actually says.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by TheNorthCydeRises

[sturt]

Happy owner, happy life... that's what I always say.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

3 Players With the Most to Prove on Every NBA Team


Categorizing each into one of three categories—incoming rookies (self-explanatory), up-and-comers (players with less than five years of NBA experience) and veterans (players with at least five years of experience)—we've singled out three contributors for each of the 30 squads who might already be perspiring.

Atlanta Hawks



Incoming Rookie: Kobe Bufkin
When an organization refuses to include an incoming rookie in a trade package for a two-time All-NBA player, expectations begin to skyrocket.

That exact scenario unfolded for Kobe Bufkin, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, when the Atlanta Hawks declined to move him to the Toronto Raptors as part of a deal for Pascal Siakam, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Now, the Michigan product has to prove he's worthy of the early intrigue—and the memories invoked by his first name don't exactly ease the weight of expectations, either.

Up-and-Comer: De'Andre Hunter
Four years into his NBA career, De'Andre Hunter has yet to justify the hype that came with his status as the fourth overall pick of the 2019 draft. He's been a steady role player for the Hawks and averaged 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists last year, but he has yet to develop into a game-changing force capable of elevating the ceiling of a middle-of-the-pack dweller.

Veteran: Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray was fantastic during his inaugural campaign in Atlanta, but he must continue to find his stride alongside Trae Young when the two dynamic guards share the floor. Even more importantly, he needs to shoulder more of a defensive burden by stepping up to check the bigger guards and swingmen who have plagued the Hawks for years.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10090102-3-players-with-the-most-to-prove-on-every-nba-team

[macdaddy]

7 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

3 Players With the Most to Prove on Every NBA Team


Categorizing each into one of three categories—incoming rookies (self-explanatory), up-and-comers (players with less than five years of NBA experience) and veterans (players with at least five years of experience)—we've singled out three contributors for each of the 30 squads who might already be perspiring.

Atlanta Hawks



Incoming Rookie: Kobe Bufkin
When an organization refuses to include an incoming rookie in a trade package for a two-time All-NBA player, expectations begin to skyrocket.

That exact scenario unfolded for Kobe Bufkin, the No. 15 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, when the Atlanta Hawks declined to move him to the Toronto Raptors as part of a deal for Pascal Siakam, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Now, the Michigan product has to prove he's worthy of the early intrigue—and the memories invoked by his first name don't exactly ease the weight of expectations, either.

Up-and-Comer: De'Andre Hunter
Four years into his NBA career, De'Andre Hunter has yet to justify the hype that came with his status as the fourth overall pick of the 2019 draft. He's been a steady role player for the Hawks and averaged 15.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists last year, but he has yet to develop into a game-changing force capable of elevating the ceiling of a middle-of-the-pack dweller.

Veteran: Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray was fantastic during his inaugural campaign in Atlanta, but he must continue to find his stride alongside Trae Young when the two dynamic guards share the floor. Even more importantly, he needs to shoulder more of a defensive burden by stepping up to check the bigger guards and swingmen who have plagued the Hawks for years.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10090102-3-players-with-the-most-to-prove-on-every-nba-team

The part about DJ is key to me.  Whoever is next to Trae needs to be a really good defender if not elite.  

I'm not expecting to see a lot of Kobe this year though. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[theheroatl]

I’m hoping for an AJ-DJ-TY lineup that blisters offensively.

Hunter and Capela seem like dead weight to me… watching to see if Hunter improves at all.

Big O and JJ might have good chemistry so I’d like to see that lineup a bunch.

These are my two favorite lineups going into this season:

OO-JJ-AJ-DJ-TY

OO-Bey-AJ-DJ-TY

Nonstop offensive attack.

[JeffS17]

On 9/30/2023 at 8:29 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

They have yet to deal the overpriced De’Andre Hunter (who’s owed $90 million over four more seasons)

I get that dre hasn't panned out how some fans wanted him to, but I don't understand how he's "overpriced".  The guy is a solid enough two-way player and starter, and he's taking up ~12% of our total roster salary, 15% of the soft cap.  It should not be difficult to trade him, if that's the route we want to go.  

[RedDawg#8]

1 hour ago, JeffS17 said:

I get that dre hasn't panned out how some fans wanted him to, but I don't understand how he's "overpriced".  The guy is a solid enough two-way player and starter, and he's taking up ~12% of our total roster salary, 15% of the soft cap.  It should not be difficult to trade him, if that's the route we want to go.  

Agreed. The way $30mil dollar contracts are being given out these days Dre is a bargain.

[JayBirdHawk]

The Atlanta Hawks Biggest Question And X-Factor

After a surprising run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021, the Atlanta Hawks have needed to scrap through the Play-In the last two seasons just to make the playoffs and have been bounced in the first round in back-to-back years.

Coming into the 2023-24 season, the Hawks look fairly similar to last year’s squad, with the biggest difference being Quin Snyder getting a full offseason as head coach after taking over midseason last year for Nate McMillan. From a roster perspective, the most notable change is the departure of John Collins, who was traded to the Jazz in a salary dump as the Hawks wanted to move off the last three years of his deal. With Collins gone, Snyder will have to play around with the roster to fill those minutes at power forward, with the likelihood of more minutes for De’Andre Hunter at the four and smaller lineups to try and space the floor for Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. Snyder will want the Hawks to be much more of a three-point threat than a year ago when they were 28th in three-point attempts and 21st in three-point percentage in the NBA.

The expectation with their star backcourt is to be a playoff team. To get there and avoid the Play-In, there is one major question and one X-Factor on the roster that figure to play key roles in if they can take a leap back into the top-6 in the East.


Biggest Question: Will The Young Players Take A Step Forward?

With Collins gone, the Hawks will lean more on their youngsters, with much of their roster being 25 years old or younger. Hunter spent the summer in trade rumors but nothing ever materialized and how he responds to that will be fascinating. Hunter impressed as a rookie, but has somewhat stagnated in terms of development, mostly looking like the same player he was when he entered the league. Part of Snyder’s task is to see if he can coax something more out of Hunter in his fifth year, particularly in the absence of Collins. However, Hunter isn’t alone when it comes to young Hawks who will be relied on heavily.

Onyeka Okongwu could get more run this year both as Clint Capela’s backup (and the expected starting center in waiting whenever Capela is no longer in Atlanta), with the chance to run some big lineups with he and Capela sharing the floor now that Collins is gone. Saddiq Bey was lights out from three in his 25 regular season games in Atlanta, and AJ Griffin, likewise, is among the Hawks best three-point threats. Both of them being positive contributors on the wing is going to be important given Snyder will be asking for Atlanta to get up more threes, but to stay in larger roles they’ll have to provide something on the defensive end as well. Hawks fans are also high on Jalen Johnson, and he figures to get some burn with Collins gone as some power forward depth who can bring some bounce to the frontcourt.

If this team is to take a step forward it figures to be on the backs of internal improvement from their youngsters. Snyder’s task is figuring out which roles and lineup combinations they’re most comfortable in to get the most out of them and provide their stars with the right amount of support.


X-Factor: Bogdan Bogdanovic

While Hunter is important, I think getting a fully healthy Bogdan Bogdanovic would be the thing that really allows the Hawks to be a factor in the East playoff picture. He has played in 44, 63, and 54 games in his three seasons in Atlanta, struggling to stay healthy and on the floor consistently. That’s been a big loss for a Hawks team that has a big need for a player of his skillset, who can be a shot creator and initiator with the second unit and a spot-up threat and off-ball worker with the first unit. Hunter isn’t at the level of Bogdanovic with either of those skills (but is a superior defender), and when Bogdanovic isn’t in the lineup or is banged up and playing at less than 100 percent, the Hawks just lack some juice offensively.

He’s coming off of a tremendous summer showing in the FIBA World Cup for Serbia and should be in great condition to start the season. The concern is whether he can maintain that conditioning throughout the 82-game season and into the playoffs, especially after taking on a big workload in the World Cup. If he can carry over that level of play, the Hawks should look much more dangerous offensively this season as he figures to bring a lot of qualities Snyder will want from Atlanta on that end of the floor this year.

https://uproxx.com/dimemag/atlanta-hawks-preview-biggest-question-x-factor/

[macdaddy]

On 10/7/2023 at 7:29 AM, theheroatl said:

I’m hoping for an AJ-DJ-TY lineup that blisters offensively.

Hunter and Capela seem like dead weight to me… watching to see if Hunter improves at all.

Big O and JJ might have good chemistry so I’d like to see that lineup a bunch.

These are my two favorite lineups going into this season:

OO-JJ-AJ-DJ-TY

OO-Bey-AJ-DJ-TY

Nonstop offensive attack.

I wouldn't mind seeing Mills/Bogi/Bey/Hunter/OO do some long range bombing on folks.  

[JayBirdHawk]

Building Every NBA Team's Best Starting and Closing Lineups

 

 

Predicting Atlanta's Best Starting/Closing lineups



Starters: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey and Clint Capela

This lineup only started two games last season, but it feels like a safe bet in the absence of John Collins, who was moved to the Utah Jazz this summer.

Young or Murray can initiate two-man actions in the middle of the floor with Capela, while surrounded by decent shooting from Hunter and Bey.

Closers: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Bogdan Bogdanović, AJ Griffin and Onyeka Okongwu

This group may have a bit of playmaking overload with Young, Murray and Bogdanović, but that adds to the team's unpredictability. It can be hard to keep a solid defensive rotation when the opposition can initiate from three positions.

It also features a forward who may be the team's most consistent shooter in AJ Griffin, who shot 39.0 percent from three as a rookie, and a more switchable defender in Okongwu at the 5.

Thoughts? Yay or Nay?

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10092743-building-every-nba-teams-best-starting-and-closing-lineups

 

[macdaddy]

Trae/DJ/Bogi are definitely closers.  OO will be in there and i think the PF spot alternates between Hunter and Bey depending on game situation.  Not seeing AJ closing out games much even though he did it great last year a couple times. 

[RedDawg#8]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

Trae/DJ/Bogi are definitely closers.  OO will be in there and i think the PF spot alternates between Hunter and Bey depending on game situation.  Not seeing AJ closing out games much even though he did it great last year a couple times. 

Yeah, unless they are thinking of closing meaning we are behind big and trying to score our way back in to the game, I do not see a scenario where we are playing (2) 6’6” wing shooters at the forward positions down the stretch. That’s a tiny lineup that shoot but not much else.

Closing to me means that you’re also able to get stops when you need it, I think we definitely want the ball in the hands of Trae-DJ-Bogi late in games, but on the other end you need another defensive presence next to OO in the frontcourt. I would roll with Hunter in that scenario. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Roster Age:

23 and under
PG: Bufkin (20)
SG: Griffin (20)
SF:
PF: Johnson (21), Gueye (20)
C - Okongwu (22)

24 -29
PG: Trae (25)
SG: Murray (27), Mathews (27)
SF: Hunter (25)
PF: Bey (24)
C - Capela (29), Bruno (25)

30 and over
PG: Mills (35)
SG: Bogi (31)
SF: Matthews (37)
PF:
C -

[Spud2nique]

31 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Roster Age:

23 and under
PG: Bufkin (20)
SG: Griffin (20)
SF:
PF: Johnson (21), Gueye (20)
C - Okongwu (22)

24 -29
PG: Trae (25)
SG: Murray (27), Mathews (27)
SF: Hunter (25)
PF: Bey (24)
C - Capela (29), Bruno (25)

30 and over
PG: Mills (35)
SG: Bogi (31)
SF: Matthews (37)
PF:
C -

Good ish layout Burd and screenshot it  

[bird_dirt]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Roster Age:

23 and under
PG: Bufkin (20)
SG: Griffin (20)
SF:
PF: Johnson (21), Gueye (20)
C - Okongwu (22)

24 -29
PG: Trae (25)
SG: Murray (27), Mathews (27)
SF: Hunter (25)
PF: Bey (24)
C - Capela (29), Bruno (25)

30 and over
PG: Mills (35)
SG: Bogi (31)
SF: Matthews (37)
PF:
C -

Anyone think there’s a chance MoG could ever develop into a SF? He’s a sneaky good passer, and I suspect Quin wants as many above average passers on the floor as possible.