Hawks get passing grade for offseason ... but just barely
It's a tried and true motto for getting through college: "C's get degrees." And those words will have to placate the Atlanta Hawks for now.
Atlanta had an up-and-down offseason, re-signing Paul Millsap and adding Tiago Splitter but losing DeMarre Carroll. And as ESPN.com Insider Kevin Pelton writes in assessing the Hawks a "C" grade for their offseason, Atlanta doomed itself to such a summer of pain with its super-successful 2014-15 season:
"The Hawks had a problem this summer: They were too good last season, making starters DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap two of the top free agents on the market. To afford to re-sign both players at their 2015-16 salaries, Atlanta would have had to trade backup wing Thabo Sefolosha.
"Instead, Atlanta tried to find the next Carroll by signing Holiday, whose skill set is a 3-and-D starter kit. The Hawks used the money they saved to add Splitter, who gives their frontcourt an entirely different look. But trading a first-round pick for Hardaway, a poor defender whose shooting hasn't been as good as advertised in the NBA, looks like a bad gamble."
It's a testatment to how skilled and vital to the Hawks Paul Millsap has become that the team was even able to salvage a passing grade after what Pelton views as the mistake of trading for Tim Hardaway Jr. Atlanta essentially lost out on two assets for nothing in this interpretation of the summer, but keeping Millsap might have been the biggest priority for the Hawks.
Given how Atlanta approached the summer, the Hawks certainly viewed bringing Millsap back in that light. Next season will be tough for Atlanta, as teams will know the Hawks are coming. But things could have gone worse this offseason.
(h/t ESPN.com)
Photo Credit: Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
