Atlanta Hawks Team Preview 2010-2011

By Eric Yearian

One of the more puzzling off-seasons in the league, if not the most puzzling, belonged to the Atlanta Hawks. Fresh off of a 53 win season, the Hawks entered the off-season looking to keep things the same. Their star player, Joe Johnson, struggled in the playoffs and then entered the loaded free agent class. The Hawks, seeing the promise the team has had over the past few seasons, weren’t ready to abandon all the progress they had made since Johnson joined the team. They inked Johnson to a new deal, and many people believe they overpaid for him, as he signed a deal that will net him over 16 million this season, and just under 25 million when he’s 35. Despite trying to keep the team intact, they finally made the coaching change that the team has threatened to make for years. Out is Mike Woodson, who saw the team improve each year under his leadership, and in is Larry Drew, a first time head coach.

    The team underperformed in last season’s playoffs, but the Hawks have a very good core to build around, with Johnson, Josh Smith, and Al Horford as the centerpieces. While it is now true that Johnson is probably being overpaid, it was imperative that Atlanta resign him if they wanted to stay relevant, because he is the one player on the roster that opposing defenses have to make a concentrated effort to stop on every possession. Since joining the Hawks, he has averaged over 20 points, 4 rebounds, and over 4 assists per game each season. At 6-8, he is able to use his height to his advantage and punish teams by exploiting mismatches.
Josh Smith
    In addition to Johnson, the Hawks have one of the most athletic players in the league in Josh Smith, the 6-9 forward who looks like he’s jumping on a trampoline every time he takes flight. The big knock on Smith for most of his career has been that he had a tendency to settle for outside jumpshots, despite the fact that he is far more effective when getting to the rim. Last season, however, he cut down on his three point attempts (87 attempts in 2008-2009, 7 attempts in 2009-2010). Because he was no longer wasting possessions by throwing up ill-conceived jumpers, he was able to become a consistent threat to opposing defenses.On the defensive end of the court, he is the equivalent of an eraser, consistently finishing 2nd or 3rd in the league in blocks. With Al Horford playing alongside him, Smith can take a few more chances, knowing that Horford will be in good position incase Smith’s gamble doesn’t pay off. Horford is a solid big man that is the Hawks’ rock inside. He isn’t spectacular or flashy, but he knows how to get the job done. Horford is a walking double-double that is the epitome of consistency. With him manning the center position, the Hawks have somebody to match up with the Dwight Howards and Pau Gasols of the league.

    Reigning sixth man of the year, Jamal Crawford, brings some scoring punch to the lineup, but he’s also making waves off the court right now as well. Crawford is trying to get a contract extension from the Hawks before a possible lockout next season, and there are rumors that he has stated he wants to be traded if the Hawks won’t give him a new deal. Last season was Crawford’s first trip to the postseason in his career. He was a dynamic scorer, and offered the Hawks an alternative to Johnson as a wing scorer. He also can bring the ball up as a point guard, which is very important for Atlanta, since Mike Bibby doesn’t have a proven backup. Last year was the first of Bibby’s career that he played fewer than 32 minutes per games, playing only 27 per contest. It was also the first time in his career that he averaged less than 10 points and 4 assists a game. With Bibby seemingly in decline, and a new coach, it will be a challenge for the Hawks to find leadership.

The Hawks lack depth at every position except for shooting guard, and that lack of depth could prove to be a problem this season, especially if they have injury problems. They signed Etan Thomas to be the backup for Horford along with Zaza Pachulia. They have guys like Maurice Evans, Jeff Teague, and rookie Jordan Crawford who will see minutes at the guard spots off the bench, but none of those names will strike fear into opposing coaches.

Ultimately, this Hawks team will go as far as their starters take them. It will be challenge to learn to play under a rookie head coach, but the players are familiar enough with each other that it may not be a big issue during the regular season, but Mike Woodson was outcoached in the postseason last year, so Coach Drew will face an uphill battle once the team reaches the playoffs.

Predicted Record: 47-35 (Last Year’s record: 53-29)

Expected Team Roster
Name                             Height        Weight        School
PG: Mike Bibby             6-2        195        Arizona
SG: Joe Johnson           6-8        240        Arkansas
SF: Marvin Williams       6-9        240        N. Carolina
PF: Josh Smith               6-9        240        Oak Hill Academy (VA.) HS
C: Al Horford                   6-10        245        Florida
6: Jamal Crawford          6-5        200        Michigan
7: Zaza Pachulia             6-11        275        Republic of Georgia
8: Jeff Teague                 6-2        180        Wake Forest
9: Maurice Evans            6-5        220        Texas
10: Etan Thomas            6-10        260        Syracuse
11: Jordan Crawford       6-4        195        Xavier
12: Josh Powell               6-9        240        North Carolina State
13: Jason Collins            7-0        255        Stanford
14: Pape Sy                    6-7        225        France