The Atlanta Hawks’ offseason hasn’t been noisy, but the team did add a couple of key role players while losing a major component from last season.
The Hawks notched the best record in the East last year and achieved a franchise-best .732 winning percentage, attaining 60 wins. However despite playing unselfish team ball and hardnosed defense, they crumbled during the playoffs and were swept by the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The offseason started during the 2015 NBA draft for Atlanta when they traded their first-round pick a couple of times and eventually landed Tim Hardaway Jr.
Hardaway Jr. is a young shooting guard who will provide sufficient scoring, whether it’s off the bench or as a starter. He may not have the best defense, but Hardaway Jr. makes it up with his streaky three-point shooting. He should be a solid addition to a Hawks team that enjoys moving the ball around to find quality offense.
Furthermore, the Hawks also added a big man this summer by trading for San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter in a deal where they gave up draft rights to international players. The Splitter deal was initially a backup plan for Atlanta in case their highly coveted free agent Paul Millsap departed. Fortunately for the Hawks, Millsap opted to re-sign, but we will get into that later.
With Splitter, the Hawks finally have a true big man off the bench who could score down low and supply length on defense. Splitter is going to be reunited with head coach Mike Budenholzer. The two spent time in San Antonio where Budenholzer was the assistant coach for Gregg Popovich. The bond between them will make it easier for Splitter to find comfort with his new team.
Another minor, yet underrated move made by the Hawks was the signing of Justin Holiday. As a member of the Golden State Warriors, in limited minutes, Holiday showcased his defensive abilities. Not the greatest defender in the league, but Holiday plays with tremendous energy and fire. Due to his hard work and determination on that end of the floor, he overtook Leandro Barbosa’s backup shooting guard role at one point of the season.
Holiday is expected to play the same role, a third string shooting guard, but he adds more wing depth and could earn some minutes due to his work ethic.
“His combination of length and versatility with a great work ethic gives him a chance to be a solid contributor on the court,” coach Budenholzer said of the 26-year old.
The most important move of the summer for the Hawks was re-signing Paul Millsap. They came very close to losing Millsap to the Orlando Magic early in the offseason, but the two-time All-Star decided to sign a three-year, $59 million deal to remain with Atlanta.
Keeping Millsap was without doubt crucial since he has been the heart and soul of the team the past two years. The 30-year old is an efficient face up shooter who recently extended his range. Despite being undersized, Millsap is also a solid rebounder and physical defender.
As the Hawks were able to retain Millsap, they were unable to keep a vital contributor from last season in DeMarre Carroll. The six-year player out of Missouri bolted to the Toronto Raptors after receiving a lucrative deal.
Carroll’s perimeter defense and efficient shooting will certainly be missed. He was slowly improving his all-around game and had a terrific playoff run. The loss of Carroll could hurt the Hawks, mainly on the defensive end, but the aforementioned additions may possibly make up for it.
The Hawks also lost Pero Antic and John Jenkins during free agency. Jenkins, who signed with the Dallas Mavericks, wasn’t a huge part of the Hawks’ rotation though. In three seasons with ATL, he accumulated 98 games and five starts. As for Antic, after a solid rookie campaign, his numbers descended last season, and he ultimately wound up in coach Budenholzer’s doghouse by the end of the playoffs.
Atlanta didn’t make a huge splash this offseason. They simply replaced DeMarre Carroll with a couple of role players and kept the rest of the core together. Now it’s time for them to prove that last year’s successful regular season wasn’t a fluke.
Off-Season Grade: C