Hoops Habit
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Time To Blow Up The Atlanta Hawks?

By Gerald Bourguet

May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) reacts with guard Dennis Schroder (17) after making a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) reacts with guard Dennis Schroder (17) after making a three point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 100-99. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Hawks
Apr 28, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) celebrates a victory against the Boston Celtics in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

Covering The Other Bazes

Horford isn’t the only player hitting unrestricted free agency, however. After losing DeMarre Carroll to the Toronto Raptors last summer, the Hawks’ replacement at small forward, Kent Bazemore, could be looking at a few lucrative offers from teams trying to snatch him away from Atlanta.

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    • In his best statistical season while playing on a winning team this year, Bazemore averaged 11.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from three-point range. He improved as a defender, regularly made jaw-dropping plays and provided constant energy and effort that made him a quick, lovable fan favorite.

    The only problem is that Bazemore is the easy-to-identify weak link in Atlanta’s starting rotation. All season long we’ve seen the jokes about how Kent is “not gonna Baze any less,” but there’s a question as to whether the Hawks can keep him if they pay any less than prospective suitors. For a team that may be ready to scrap this current core and start fresh, Bazemore’s free agency presents a real issue.

    The Hawks’ identity lies in their ball movement, their defensive integrity and their sharing of the scoring load, all of which are rooted in the team’s lack of a bonafide superstar. That quality has held them back and was visibly problematic in the playoffs the last two years, with LeBron James demonstrably tearing the defense to shreds in virtuoso performances that no one on the Hawks was capable of matching.

    That makes it hard for the front office to commit to bringing everyone back while still finding enough cap space to add difference-makers to a lackluster bench. Mike Scott has a $3.3 million non-guaranteed contract for the 2016-17 season, Kris Humphries and Kirk Hinrich join Horford and Bazemore as free agents this summer, and the contracts of Teague, Korver, Splitter, Sefolosha only last one more season.

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    After watching LeBron James and the star-studded Cavs pick Atlanta apart for the second year in a row, it became blatantly obvious that overcoming that Cleveland-sized hump may be an impossible task for this core. The Hawks could bring everyone back next year and commit to internal growth, chemistry and shared responsibilities without a go-to star, but at this point, change feels needed — if not inevitable.

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