Atlanta barely sneaked into the playoffs this season due to star center Al Horford suffering a torn pectoral. However, the Hawks almost gunned their way to a first round upset over the Indiana Pacers. The Hawks were able to do this thanks to the development of Paul Milsap's three point shooting ability and the lightning quick first step of Jeff Teague. However, I seriously doubt this three headed monster is good enough to win an NBA Championship, let alone reach the Eastern Conference Finals. So, my question is, where do the Hawks go from here?
Atlanta was once known for the electricity of Dominique Wilkins, which now radiates out of NBA vaults everywhere. 'Nique battled the likes of Larry Bird and even Michael Jordan in the dunk contest. Unfortunately, Atlanta hasn't had such a talented wing player since Wilkins. Instead, they have had Josh Smith who has a constant green light and an extremely overpaid Joe Johnson. With that said, Atlanta is now stuck with the number 15 pick which keeps them away from the explosive players such as Andrew Wiggins or even Aaron Gordon. Luckily, for Atlanta, I have a solid solution. The Hawks have to draft either Zach Lavine or James Young. Lavine is a six foot five shooting guard who can jump out of the gym, but his offensive game still needs polishing. James Young, on the other hand, has become one of my favorite talents in this draft. This is a six foot seven shooting guard with a seven foot wingspan. He doesn't have the same jumping ability as Zach, however, I'm not concerned about that due to his defensive and offensive potential. If either of these players ever reach their ceiling, they will transform into a match up nightmare for any team that is forced to face them in the future.
The Hawks are a very talented team, but currently they will never beat the Heat if they couldn't take down the overrated Pacers. However, if they combine the shooting talent of Paul Milsap, the slashing ability of Teague, and the solid 18 and 8 of Al Horford with one of these extreme talents, then you have a team that can compete in a weak Eastern Conference.
Tim Martin II
Atlanta was once known for the electricity of Dominique Wilkins, which now radiates out of NBA vaults everywhere. 'Nique battled the likes of Larry Bird and even Michael Jordan in the dunk contest. Unfortunately, Atlanta hasn't had such a talented wing player since Wilkins. Instead, they have had Josh Smith who has a constant green light and an extremely overpaid Joe Johnson. With that said, Atlanta is now stuck with the number 15 pick which keeps them away from the explosive players such as Andrew Wiggins or even Aaron Gordon. Luckily, for Atlanta, I have a solid solution. The Hawks have to draft either Zach Lavine or James Young. Lavine is a six foot five shooting guard who can jump out of the gym, but his offensive game still needs polishing. James Young, on the other hand, has become one of my favorite talents in this draft. This is a six foot seven shooting guard with a seven foot wingspan. He doesn't have the same jumping ability as Zach, however, I'm not concerned about that due to his defensive and offensive potential. If either of these players ever reach their ceiling, they will transform into a match up nightmare for any team that is forced to face them in the future.
The Hawks are a very talented team, but currently they will never beat the Heat if they couldn't take down the overrated Pacers. However, if they combine the shooting talent of Paul Milsap, the slashing ability of Teague, and the solid 18 and 8 of Al Horford with one of these extreme talents, then you have a team that can compete in a weak Eastern Conference.
Tim Martin II