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Fantasy Basketball: Atlanta Hawks Preview

By Jackson Sanders

Dec 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) and forward Paul Millsap (4) and guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) on the court against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Cavaliers 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) and forward Paul Millsap (4) and guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) on the court against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Cavaliers 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Hawks are certainly aware that sustained success is among the hardest things to accomplish in professional sports, but did the best they could to keep their foundation this offseason.

The complete set of four All-Star Hawks will return to Atlanta this season. Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, and Al Horford are still locked up, and Paul Millsap resisted overtures from the Orlando Magic to return to the team he helped achieve 60 wins last year. All three should remain solid fantasy options.

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DeMarre Carroll, who broke out as the Hawks’ starting small forward, chose to head north to Toronto on a four-year deal, leaving a gaping hole in fantastic starting five of the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed a year ago. Thabo Sefolosha is projected to inherit the starting role there after he works his way back from injury.

May 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) restrains forward DeMarre Carroll (5) after an altercation with Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (not shown) during the second half in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) restrains forward DeMarre Carroll (5) after an altercation with Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (not shown) during the second half in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Wizards 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

The notable newcomers to Atlanta include wing Tim Hardaway Jr. (more on him in a bit), and center Tiago Splitter, who was acquired via trade from the San Antonio Spurs. Splitter should provide the Hawks with the flexibility to play Al Horford at power forward during stretches, but Splitter’s fantasy value is still probably limited to the deeper leagues.

The coach remains the same, and the ball-sharing philosophy of the Hawks should carry on. This club should retain its high-scoring capabilities, though the Spurs-influence of the team will rear its ugly head once and awhile to put a slight damper on individual performances.

Here are the Breakout, Bust, and Deep Sleeper candidates for the Atlanta Hawks in 2015-16:

Breakout Candidate To Watch: Tim Hardaway Jr.

Look, I get it. Knicks gonna Knick, even when they aren’t Knicks. Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers know what I mean.

But, if anyone is going to be truly classified as a breakout fantasy player for the Atlanta Hawks, the early money should be on Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Hawks ended up basically swapping the rights to super-talented (but super-raw) prospect Kelly Oubre for Hardaway Jr. in a three-team trade on draft night. The move set the stage for Hardaway Jr. to be a scorer off-the-bench for a Hawks team that needed a shot in the arm.

Then, DeMarre Carroll bolted for Toronto, and Hardaway Jr.’s opportunity got a lot juicier.

In the best case scenario, Hardaway Jr. becomes a true sixth man, and even sees time in lineups surrounded by Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, and Al Horford. His three-point shooting ability (1.7 threes made per game over his career) makes him a solid contributor, and if he gets his efficiency up (he shot an abysmal 38.9 percent last season) he will add solid scoring numbers to his potential offerings.

In the worst case scenario, he becomes a bench guy that comes in simply to shoot threes and get out-of-the-way. But, one look at Hawks’ wing depth chart, and it’s clear that they will need Hardaway Jr. to bring offense to the table when Kyle Korver sits.

At this point, Hardaway Jr. is a late flier (or waiver wire watch list candidate), but he has an opportunity to establish himself as a contributor for the Atlanta Hawks, and your fantasy team, this season.

Bust Candidate: Jeff Teague

Last year, Teague took a big career jump by being named to the All-Star team, and by leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 60-win season. He also provided fantasy owners with star-level fantasy production in spurts last season. So why he a potential bust?

Apr 7, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) is defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the third quarter of their game at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-69. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) is defended by Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) in the third quarter of their game at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-69. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s all about where he goes in your draft.

In his latest rankings update (posted after the early free agent frenzy in July), ESPN’s Tom Carpenter ranked Teague 31st overall. By my count, he was the 9th ranked point guard, ahead of players like Eric Bledsoe, Reggie Jackson, and Jrue Holiday; all guys I believe have significantly more upside than Teague.

That doesn’t mean Teague is going to be bad this year — for what it’s worth, you can pretty much pencil him in for his 2014-15 averages of about 16 points, 7 assists, a couple steals, and a three-pointer per game — but I don’t think he has the potential “boom” of the point guards ranked directly after him.

Such is the challenge of playing in a Spurs-like system that emphasizes ball movement over individual creativity. Teague is a safe pick; he will be fine. But I would rather roll the dice on a stat-stuffer like Eric Bledsoe or post-All-Star Reggie Jackson’s potential instead.

Deep-League Sleeper: Kent Bazemore

Another player in line to benefit from DeMarre Carroll’s departure is the athletic Kent Bazemore. And, honestly, it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up as this team’s breakout fantasy asset this season.

The 6’5” swingman should get his share of opportunity backing up Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha on the wing, and expanded minutes could make him an interesting play in fantasy. His per-36 numbers point to multi-category utility: 10.6 points, six rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 1.3 three-pointers per game.

In standard leagues, Bazemore will likely only be roster-worthy if something happens to either Korver or Sefolosha, but deeper league owners could benefit. A steal, block, and three-pointer out of one of the last roster spots in a deep league can be quite valuable, assuming Bazemore is able to secure a significant role on the team.

Next: NBA: Complete Offseason Grades For All 30 Teams

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