Atlanta Hawks
Key Acquisitions: F Danilo Gallinari, G Bogdan Bogdanovic, G Rajon Rondo, F/C Onyeka Okongwu, G Kris Dunn, F Solomon Hill
Key Departures: C Dewayne Dedmon, G Jeff Teague, F DeAndre’ Bembry, F Vince Carter
Not only did the Atlanta Hawks have one of the best offseasons out of anybody in the NBA, but they have two of the best young stars in the league in Trae Young and John Collins. Young is coming off his second year in the NBA in which he was an All-Star and averaged 29.6 points, 9.3 assists and shot 36.1% from three-point range on 568 attempts during the regular season. Young made the 6th most three-pointers out of anybody in the league last year and is one of the best perimeter threats in the game.
John Collins is coming off his best season in the NBA in his third season, averaging 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and shooting 40.1% from three-point range. With some key additions this offseason in Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bogdanovic, Collins may see his production decline slightly, but he is still one of the rising stars at power forward in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks are on a collision course to make the NBA playoffs this season because of their offseason acquisitions. Both Gallinari and Bogdanovic are two big time threats from the perimeter and should provide a massive increase in the Hawks overall play on the offensive end of the court.
Rajon Rondo is not only a fantastic back-up point guard, as he was a key player in the Lakers’ championship run last season, but he is a guy who can play great defense as well. As a veteran presence in a young Hawks’ locker room, Rondo will not only be one of the leaders of this Hawks franchise, but he will be instrumental in their success off the bench.
This offseason, the Hawks did not make any bad moves and have set themselves up for a lot of success now and in the future. They have invested a lot of money into their core of Young-Bogdanovic-Gallinari-Collins and make up what should be one of the best perimeter-oriented teams in the entire NBA. Watch out for the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference this season.
