Hawks Wiz Raptors -- young guns of the East -- biggest upside?

i don't think any of these teams is coming out of the east, but the hawks are the best team of this bunch and have the best shot to, not even close. people aren't kidding when they call them the spurs east

Biggest upside is the wiz cuz they are gonna sign kd

Yeah but not this year

Side poll is whether the Bulls or Cavs will go further than any of these three xp

Voted

Appreciate your vote for the Wiz

the wizards don't have a higher ceiling than the hawks but i could see them winning the east specifically bcuz they match up really well with the bulls

wiz have wall&beal&truth plus good size but aren't consistent, i think raps record/success is inflated playing in the worst division in the history of pro sports and id pick them for first round upset if they were to catch say detroit or the Cleve.

hawks are as legit as any other team in the east rn but i tend to favor the bulls for the conference

well the wiz just got blown out at home by the NETS and the hawks spanked the raptors, so that about answers this question

jarrett jack 4 mvp imo

I haven't seen enough of any of those teams to make an informed vote, so I made an uninformed guess and voted anyway. Raptors.

i think the reason everybody still sleeps on the hawks (other than the fact that no one watched them) is bc they're not seeing how consistently badass their defense is. it's really kind of amazing. i've never seen so many great offensive teams just look lost and uncomfortable, constantly bitching at the refs and each other. the hawks camera guy makes a point of showing the opposing teams benches at the end of games and they always look so sad and dejected. always good for some lols.

people aren't kidding when they call them the spurs east

― k3vin k.

they really are eerily similar to those great spurs teams. it's a really beautiful system. i feel like this is some good karma paying off for watching so many terrible hawks games. it's so fun to watch. i highly recommend.

At this point, picking the Hawks verges on making the boring obvious choice. It presumes they will simply continue to do what they've been doing and walk through the EC playoffs to the Finals. That story line lacks drama. Everyone likes a bit of drama.

there will be no drama this yr

the offense is butter and really gorgeous to watch, but i think it will be the one thing to falter in the playoffs playing against a focused, highly motivated defense like the bulls. there's really not a great offensive player on the team and they rely heavily on the 3 ball. but their defense will always keep them in these games no question

I made an uninformed guess and voted anyway. Raptors.

now convinced this will haunt me come May

http://i.imgur.com/hUdiDDM.jpg

btw korver leads the league in 3pt% and is just barely second in three pointers made which is really insane

steph has taken 92 more than him and only made 6 more

hawks are the class of the east imo i like them over the cavs

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lolwiz

man I remember when they were kinda fun, that was some time ago :/

Bump

hawks still have the best long-term prospects. unless durant goes to DC of course

I guess we were right but not by much

srs epic shitting of the bed my lord

the hawks are a really interesting "what would you do" team, their core clearly isn't good enough but i don't think there's an obvious change to be made

yeah u got to stick with it hope to pickup a diff maker/break on through imo

I still don't think they needed to subscribe to the superstar conventional wisdom, a fully healthy Hawks team would still have its flaws but in this east prob would be in the finals

horford/millsap/carroll still seems good to me, i think they need to maybe do something with the backcourt

I like teague fine but korver isn't getting any younger and has obvious limitations

basically being if his shot goes cold his defense isn't reliable (although it has been good at times)

lowe piece today about how defenses have adjusted to shooters who cant attack the closeout was v good imo

Someone with insider wanna post that Hawks roster reload article pls?

i will later if nobody else does first

the hawks will be fine if they have better health luck imo

As teams complete their seasons, ESPN Insider's NBA team will take a look at the offseason picture and priorities for all 30 teams. Below, Kevin Pelton offers a snapshot of the Atlanta Hawks.

2014-15 record: 60-22
Pythagorean record: 55-27
Offensive Rating: 106.3 (6th)
Defensive Rating: 100.7 (7th)

Under Contract For 2015-16
PLAYER SALARY RPM WARP
Jeff Teague $8,000,000 2.2 8.8
Al Horford $12,000,000 1.9 8.7
Kyle Korver $5,746,479 5.8 6.8
Thabo Sefolosha $4,000,000 2.2 1.9
Dennis Schroder $1,763,400 -2.4 1.8
Mike Scott $3,333,333 -1.5 1.8
Shelvin Mack $2,433,333 -1.7 0.9
Kent Bazemore $2,000,000 -3.2 -0.7
Possible Free Agents
PLAYER TYPE RPM WARP
Paul Millsap Unrestricted 4.4 10.3
DeMarre Carroll Unrestricted 0.6 6.1
Mike Muscala Non-guaranteed 1.4 1.6
John Jenkins Unrestricted -2.0 0.6
Pero Antic Restricted 1.3 0.0
Austin Daye Non-guaranteed - -0.3
Elton Brand Unrestricted -0.9 -0.7
Draft picks

Brooklyn first-round pick (15th)
Toronto second-round pick (50th)
Own second-round pick (58th)

Projected cap space

Maximum: $24.6 million
Minimum: $0
Likely: $5.9 million

What's returning

The Hawks have three of the five members of this season's deep starting lineup signed to great value contracts. Guards Kyle Korver and Jeff Teague and center Al Horford, all of them Eastern Conference All-Stars in 2015, will make a combined $25.7 million in 2015-16 -- barely more than Joe Johnson's $24.9 million salary.

Korver and Teague both enjoyed career seasons, more predictable for the 26-year-old Teague than Korver, well past his expected prime at age 34. Few players have done a better job of maintaining their body than Korver, who will have to spend this summer rehabbing the severely sprained ankle that eventually required surgery and ended his postseason. For Horford, this summer is a chance to work on his game after coming back from pectoral surgery last offseason.

Besides the starters, the Hawks have four members of their second unit under contract. Thabo Sefolosha's value was demonstrated by his absence for the stretch run and playoffs after his ankle was broken in the process of his arrest by New York City police. With Sefolosha out, Kent Bazemore stepped into a larger role, but he doesn't provide as much size or outside shooting. Forward Mike Scott lost his rotation spot in the postseason to Mike Muscala before regaining it in the conference finals because of his ability to space the floor.

Both of Teague's backups, Dennis Schroder and Shelvin Mack, return. With so much depth at the position, one of the players could be more valuable as a trade chip.

Free agents

After making less than $12 million combined in 2014-15, starting forwards DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap are due for big raises as unrestricted free agents. Carroll emerged as a premier 3-and-D role player in two seasons in Atlanta, and his strength and ability to crash the offensive glass are unique among players of his ilk. An eight-figure salary per season is a realistic starting point for Carroll's next contract.

Millsap was a forgotten man in free agency two years ago, allowing the Hawks to steal him for $19 million over two seasons. An All-Star both years in Atlanta, Millsap figures to get more attention this time around after developing into a consistent 3-point threat.

The only rotation reserve hitting free agency is center Pero Antic, who will be restricted. Despite falling out of the rotation in the conference finals, Antic has been a security blanket for head coach Mike Budenholzer, so expect him to return. Shooting guard John Jenkins, who played well when starters rested, will likely head elsewhere in search of more playing time.

Biggest need: Size in the paint

Until Muscala earned a larger role in the playoffs, the Hawks had just two players taller than 6-foot-8 in their rotation: Horford and Antic. And while Horford has been effective in the middle, he's undersized for a center in his own right at 6-foot-10, 245. The lack of size manifested itself most prominently on the defensive glass. Atlanta was 22nd in defensive rebound percentage during the regular season and got destroyed on the boards by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Biggest question: Did the Hawks catch lightning in a bottle?

Surprise seasons are rare in the NBA, in which talent usually wins out over the course of the 82-game season. The Hawks came out of nowhere to win 60 games and claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but a closer look reveals they weren't as good as their record would indicate. Atlanta's point differential was more typical of a 55-win team, and in the playoffs the Hawks performed like a 45-win team when considering their level of competition. No matter what happens this offseason, Atlanta is likely to see its record drop considerably in 2015-16.

Ideal offseason

The Hawks re-sign Millsap to a three-year, $45 million contract and Carroll for $30 million over three years. On draft night, Texas post man Myles Turner unexpectedly slips to the 15th pick Atlanta owns via the Brooklyn Nets, giving the Hawks more size up front without sacrificing shooting ability.

the hawks will be fine if they have better health luck imo

― k3vin k., Wednesday, May 27, 2015 10:46 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

feel like they do need more playmakers, this lowe piece abt the state of the game was very good imo http://grantland.com/the-triangle/we-interrupt-this-eulogy-for-the-nba-post-up-game-to-bring-you-its-rebirth

tbf many of their guys are pretty versatile, maybe just need to be a lil more aggressive, play a lil faster idk

building the superstarless contender is still just so hard, tho unless u have a superstar what choice do you have

maybe they cn get durant

I feel like the biggest diff was the fall off on defense. They were getting so many points off turnovers during that run. Interested to see if they bring over their 7 footer from Spain this offseason. He's apparently playing real well over there

Thanks kev