National Basketball Association

Atlanta Hawks: Best-Case Scenarios For 2016-17

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most consistent teams in the NBA. What needs to play out in order for them to take the next step in 2016-17?

Apr 28, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) and forward Kent Bazemore (24) celebrate against the Boston Celtics during the second half in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks had one of the intriguing offseasons in the NBA. After nine straight seasons in which they made the playoffs, two cornerstones players in Al Horford and Jeff Teague have departed.

Horford was an unrestricted free agent that to some, was the most valuable player on the market other than Kevin Durant. After Atlanta was reluctant to give Horford the money that he wanted, he cut his list to either the Boston Celtics or the Washington Wizards.

He ultimately decided to take his talents to Boston and join a young core and one of the smartest basketball minds today, head coach Brad Stevens.

They decided to trade Teague prior to the draft in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick in a three-team trade that also involved Indiana and Utah.

Losing two players of this magnitude would usually mean for the respective team to take a big step in the wrong direction, but Atlanta is a well-run franchise that has prepared for this moment.

The starting lineup will look a bit different, but they’re hoping the results can succeed how they’ve performed in the past.

The Hawks have been one of the most consistent teams for the past nine seasons, but they haven’t been able to take that next step and truly be a contender for an NBA championship.

A title could be asking for too much once again this season, but extending their playoff streak to 10 straight seasons would be a major accomplishment with the changes made.

Here’s what needs to play out in order for this team to reach its full potential.

Apr 22, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) during the third quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Schroder’s Opportunity to Shine

Dennis Schroder has been waiting to become a starting point guard ever since he was drafted in 2013.

At that time, he was nowhere near ready to take on such a role, but he has grown tremendously over the past three seasons and gained the confidence of head coach Mike Budenholzer to become the starting floor general.

Fortunately for Schroder, he will be surrounded with experienced players such as Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard in the starting lineup. Having those weapons next to him will relieve pressure offensively in terms of scoring.

Having the frontcourt of Millsap and Howard will be huge. The ideal situation is for Schroder to connect instantly with Howard on pick-and-roll situations.

Howard brings something the Hawks haven’t had in that particular field, which is a guy who can roll to the basket and catch lobs over defenders.

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Thinking best-case scenario, Schroder will be able to guard the other elite superstars at his position like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul, just to name a few.

The point guard position is loaded with game-changing players and that means that any night, Schroder can get taken advantage of.

He has the confidence in his own game to never back down to his opposition. His situation can be related to Reggie Jackson. Jackson wanted to be a starter for years before Detroit gave him his shot. Once he had the confidence of his coach and front office, the results followed.

The same can be said for Schroder this season. Budenholzer and his teammates have his back. That’ll do wonders for his performance and help lead the Hawks back to the postseason.

Apr 7, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

A Much-Needed Revitalization

Dwight Howard will take over as the starting center in place of Al Horford. Finally, Howard lands in a stable organization after stops in Los Angeles and Houston, both of which were lose/lose situations for a player like himself.

He and Kobe just didn’t get along in his lone year as a Laker. And in Houston, James Harden‘s ball-dominance meant that Howard would be less involved within the offense.

If you are even an average basketball fan, you know that getting the big guys involved are a must because it forces them to protect the rim and grab rebounds.

If they don’t feel a part of the offensive game, it usually frustrates them to the point where their defensive impact is negatively affected.

Under Budenholzer, the Hawks have been used to running a 5-out motion offense that requires both bigs to play out on the perimeter.

Howard has by no means done so throughout his 12-year career, but has put a real focus into forming a mid-range jumper this summer and becoming more comfortable away from the hoop.

With the dominant force that he is around the rim, improving his mid-range jumpshot to the point that the defense has to respect it even a tad would make him such a tough matchup.

He and Millsap should gel perfectly together even if Howard plays the majority of his possessions in the post. Millsap has become more perimeter-oriented as seen last season and could develop a dangerous high-low connection with Howard.

Budenholzer will be sure to involve Howard within sets even if that means in simple handoff actions.

That means Howard will be more engaged defensively. He brings another dynamic to this team that was missing in that he has elite rim-protecting ability.

He may not average 2.9 blocks like he did back in 2008-09, but it’s expected to drastically improve from his 1.6 last season with Houston. Anywhere from 2-2.5 blocks per game would help this team tremendously.

Not to mention the Hawks were already a top defense last year–they finished second in defensive rating (101.4). Howard will be the anchor that the Hawks have needed against teams such as the Celtics who love to attack the basket as much as possible.

He may not be as dominant as his days in Orlando, but he’ll remind everyone why he still is one of the top centers in the NBA.

Oct 9, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) and Atlanta Hawks forward Tiago Splitter (11) box out New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the third quarter at Veterans Memorial Arena. The Atlanta Hawks won 103-93. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Bench Lives Up to Expectations

Over the years, it has been proven that depth is extremely important in forming a title contender. This season, the Hawks will have one of the deepest rotations because of the quality of their reserves.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will finally deem himself comfortable within the system and be the sixth-man that the Hawks initially hoped for when trading for him last summer.

With Korver set to turn 36 in March, Hardaway will be depended to play much more than his 16.9 minutes per game last season.

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Jarrett Jack will be the perfect complement off the bench behind Schroder to come in and provide a veteran presence at point guard. Before tearing his ACL last season with the Nets, he was averaging 12.8 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game.

He still has a ton in the tank to impact a game. Even if Schroder is struggling early on, Budenholzer can insert Jack right away to get the train back on the tracks in a way that wasn’t available to them last season.

The rookies, Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry, are NBA-ready. Prince especially can play big minutes off the bench at either shooting guard, small forward or power forward in small-ball lineups.

He can turn into the 3-and-D player and take on the DeMarre Carroll role, except doing so off the bench. Bembry will be featured at shooting guard and though he lacks elite athleticism, his high basketball IQ should be on full display under Budenholzer.

Kris Humphries and Tiago Splitter will be perfect frontcourt mates to hold down the fort while Howard and Millsap catch breathers throughout the span of the game.

Humphries can come in and build on his improvement of becoming a stretch-4 while having an impact on the glass and Splitter will stay healthy and be a vital role player as he was during his days with the San Antonio Spurs.

Budenholzer knows exactly what he is going to get with Thabo Sefolosha. A consistent, hard-working player who understands whatever role he needs to fill.

Most importantly, he needs to continue to be the lock-down defender that Budenholzer can use against players such as LeBron James, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. Not only does he have the size, but he also has the experience in guarding those players and having success.

If the Hawks want to take the next step, these things need to fall into place.

Apr 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) and guard Dennis Schroder (17) react against the Boston Celtics in the third quarter in game five of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Celtics 110-83. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Where Will They End Up?

If the previous situations hold true, the Hawks can very easily find themselves being a 50-plus win team. The mid- to low 50s would be considered a very successful showing in 2016-17.

A record as such should have them sitting anywhere from third-fifth place in the Eastern Conference depending on how well the other teams such as Toronto, Indiana, and Boston finish.

Leaning on the experience of their roster, making a run to the conference finals wouldn’t be out of the picture. They’d likely match up against their biggest obstacle of the past nine years: a LeBron James-led team.

This team isn’t good enough to take the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game series, but they are certainly capable of giving a better performance than last postseason, as they were swept for the second straight season.

Although they won’t get over the hump and make the NBA Finals, the Hawks will once again deem themselves as a true threat in the Eastern Conference for years to come.

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