Atlanta Hawks: 3 bold predictions for 2018-19 NBA season

3. The Hawks will lead the NBA in 3-point attempts

Over the last five years, the Hawks have been a top-10 team in attempts beyond the arc, just missing the top spot back during the 2013-14 season when they attempted 2,116 3-pointers. While the Houston Rockets have dominated this category in recent memory, the addition of Trae Young should lead to massive uptick in 3-point attempts for the Atlanta Hawks.

As of Sunday evening, the Hawks have attempted 115 3-pointers this preseason, the sixth-most in the league so far. They are also playing at the second-highest pace in preseason at 115.86, indicating the Hawks are committed to playing fast under Pierce. A higher pace will lead to more possessions, which leads to more 3-point attempts. This shouldn’t be surprising if Schlenk is truly trying to build “Warriors East” in Atlanta.

The Hawks will have plenty of 3-point shooters to choose from; Trae Young will be leading the charge, but Tauren Waller-Prince and Kent Bazemore should be right there helping the cause. John Collins can play the stretch-4 spot at times, so an increase from his 0.6 3-pointers per game is likely coming. Tyler Dorsey, Kevin Huerter and DeAndre’ Bembry will be waiting in the wings as well, so Pierce will have plenty of options to supplant the Rockets as the team with the most 3-point attempts in 2018-19.