Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: The Big Question Facing Every Team In 2015-16

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 20, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball as Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) defends during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball as Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward (20) defends during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 31
Next
NBA
Sep 28, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and center Al Horford (15) and forward Paul Millsap (4) pose for a photo during media day at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Atlanta Hawks

Was Last Year As Good As It Gets?

Last season, the Atlanta Hawks were the surprise team of the East, winning 60 games and storming to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They made their first conference finals appearance since the franchise relocated to Atlanta, and although they were quickly swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the series was so decisive because the Hawks simply couldn’t make open shots.

Normally some sort of fluke like that would bode well for the Hawks at the start of a new season, but Atlanta was never going to beat Cleveland last year anyway, and with the offseason departure of DeMarre Carroll, it feels unlikely that Mike Budenholzer’s squad can match the success of last year’s feel-good season.

How Tiago Splitter meshes in the frontcourt with Paul Millsap and Al Horford will be a huge factor here, as will finding a capable replacement for Caroll on the wing (a healthy Thabo Sefolosha might be their best bet).

With a healthy Horford in the lineup, Atlanta has posted a win percentage of .589 over the course of his eight-year career — good for about 48 wins in an 82-game season. That’s more than enough to make the playoffs, but are these Hawks capable of surpassing that mark and remaining an elite Eastern team?

Next: Boston Celtics