Atlanta Hawks: Bold predictions for the 2020-2021 season

1. The Atlanta Hawks will produce multiple All-Stars

Last season, Trae Young was voted an All-Star starter, and this marked the first time the Atlanta Hawks had a player representing the franchise in the All-Star game since Paul Millsap was selected as a reserve in the last year of the East v West format.

After revamping the roster and emphasizing offense during the offseason, fortunes should be changing for the better in Atlanta. They now have at least four players that have a path to receiving an All-Star nod this season, three of which would be making their first appearance if selected. Expect nothing less from Young than to be one of the best playmakers in the entire NBA and be voted a starter for a second consecutive year (yes, over the more popular Russell Westbrook).

John Collins would have been an All-Star last season if not for the 25-game suspension he served during the first half of the season. In the 30 games prior to the All-Star break, Collins averaged 20.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game. According to NBA stats, he ranked sixth among frontcourt players in the eastern conference in points and rebounds and fourth in blocks during that span.

He finished the season with averages of 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game while posting eye-popping .583/.401/.800 shooting splits. His 58.3 field goal percentage ranked first among frontcourt players in the east with at least nine field goal attempts per game and tied for first in the NBA with Zion Williamson.

Danilo Gallinari has been a starter for most of his career, starting 541 of 611 games he has appeared in. With a reputation as a versatile, lethal, and efficient scorer Gallo has career averages of 16.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists per game with .427/.380/.873 shooting splits.

Would you believe me if I told you Kyle Korver has more All-Star nods than Gallinari? Because he does, he actually made his lone All-Star game appearance as a member of this very franchise. Despite his scoring prowess, Gallinari has never won an individual award or selected to an All-Star game in his 11-year career.

All that can change for Gallinari as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Brought in as a free agent to come off the bench, he is in a prime position to show off his versatility and embarrass opposing defenses. Expect him to get some run with the starters and against starters, but for the first time in his career, he will spend most of his time on the court torching bench players as opposed to starting-caliber players.

There’s enough talent in the conference, especially in the frontcourt, that he won’t be voted a starter, but Gallinari, as the first man off the bench on a Hawks team in need of scoring, has a clear path to make the All-Star team for the first time of his career.

If you think this is a bold prediction, wait until you see the rest of the list.