Atlanta Hawks: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season

4. Dennis Schroder will average over 20 points per game

One of the most overlooked aspects of Dennis Schroder’s first season as the starting point guard for the Atlanta Hawks was his remarkable efficiency. The 23-year-old guard set a career-high with 15.4 shot attempts per game, but also connected on 45.1 percent of his attempts, 3.0 percent higher than any other season of his NBA career.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Schroder feasted off long range 2-point shot attempts, converting 44.7 percent of his attempts between 16 feet away from the rim and the 3-point line.

Atlanta is in desperate need for scoring production, with Schroder being the only player on the roster to ever average over 15 points per game at any point in their NBA career. Without any proven scorers, the Hawks will lean heavily on Schroder to pile up the points.

In his first season as a starter, not only did the 6’1″ point guard increase his time on the court by 11.2 minutes per game, his scoring average also jumped up by 6.9 points a night.

The removal of Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard and Tim Hardaway Jr., three of the top-four scorers on the Hawks a season ago, opens up numerous scoring opportunities for Schroder. After pouring in 17.9 points per game last year, look for Schroder to score over 20 points per game in 2017-18.