Hawks NBA Picks
The Atlanta Hawks looked like the third-best team in the Eastern Conference last season behind the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers when healthy, but “when healthy” didn’t last long, as Al Hoford’s injury set them back, resulting in an eight-seed finish.
2014-15 Atlanta Hawks
Eastern Conference
2013-14 Record: 39-44 (24-17 @ Home) .463
Odds to win Title: 100/1
Odds to win Conference: 35/1[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
With Horford back, look for this team to reclaim its spot as a second-tier team out East. The problem is that teams such as the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors have joined them in those rankings, and they’ll have to be better than at least one of those squads if they hope to earn home-court advantage in the 2015 postseason.
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Cappers Picks provides free NBA HOOPS handicapping tips all season long.
Hawks Key Losses
Lou Williams – The loss of Lou Williams won’t be one that most fans leaguewide consider to be significant, but his shooting is something Atlanta will miss. He averaged 10.4 points per game on 40 percent shooting, and while that percentage (as well as his 34.2 percent from three-point range) were unimposing, he was a constant threat to score, even if his shots were in high volume more times than not.
Hawks Top Newcomers
Thabo Sefolosha – Although the true top newcomer for the Hawks is Al Horford, we’ll leave him off the list for obvious reasons.
Instead, we’ll focus our attention on Thabo Sefolosha. The former Oklahoma City Thunder is a defensive specialist, who depending on the year can be a threat from deep range, and his presence on the perimeter is going to help Atlanta on the defensive side of the ball.
Hawks Top Players
Al Horford – When Horford is healthy, the Hawks are in the thick of things as it pertains to East contenders. He has a chance to establish himself as one of the best centers in the league, and while he’s more of a true power forward than anything else, he’ll have an opportunity to help this team in the playoffs against a relatively open Eastern Conference.
Paul Millsap – The fear in Atlanta last season was that Paul Millsap would prove to be overpaid in his first year with the team. As it turned out, his presence was essential with Horford out of the lineup.
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With the center gone, Millsap established himself as the best big on the roster. Not only that, but he officially stretched his game out to the three-point line, and he 17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in the process.
Jeff Teague – Jeff Teague averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 assists per game this past season, and with the Eastern Conference being as open as it is, he has a chance to become an All-Star with a similar showing all year long.
Hawks Strengths
Shooting – This team is going to make a living with its jump shooting. Kyle Korver has a chance to be the best in the league every single year, but it’s the team’s efficient ball movement that really gives it a chance to take advantage of its excellent shooters.
Hawks Weaknesses
Defense/Depth – If the Hawks are forced into playing reserves this season like they were last year, it’s going to be a problem.
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This team isn’t good enough on defense to make up for a lack of depth, and it’ll have to hope for good karma when it comes to health if it wants to compete for home-court advantage.
Hawks 2014 Betting Prediction
As previously mentioned, the Hawks were the third-best team in the Eastern Conference when Al Horford was healthy. If all goes according to plan, they’ll have a chance to make that same claim in 2015, but chances are, teams like the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors will have an edge when it comes to getting a top-four seed.
At this point, the goal should be the fourth seed, but the more realistic aspiration should be No. 5. A fifth seed would allow this group a favorable matchup against anyone not named the Chicago Bulls or Cleveland Cavaliers, and while the Eastern Conference championship seems like a long shot, a second-round matchup is attainable with Horford (hopefully) playing his first full season alongside another borderline elite big in Millsap.
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