The National Basketball Association is just over a month away, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Atlanta Hawks.
Key Acquisition
It was actually a very busy offseason for Atlanta Hawks point guard Patty Mills of Canberra, Australia. He was in fact traded three times. The first time from the Brooklyn Nets to the Houston Rockets. The second time from the Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The third time from the Thunder to the Hawks. Mills, who was the flag bearers for Australia in the opening ceremonies of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, is 35 years old, and will add experience to the Hawks squad. Mills, who averaged 6.2 points per game in a reserve role last year in Brooklyn, has previously played for the Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs.
Fantasy Star
Trae Young of Lubbock, Texas is ranked eighth among point guards. Last season he averaged 26.2 points per game, 10.2 assists per game, three rebounds per game, 1.1 steals per game, a field goal percentage of .429, three-point percentage of .335, and a field goal percentage of .886. It was the first time in Young’s career that he averaged a double-double.
Projected Finish
Atlanta is projected to finish second in the Southeast Division. Last year they had a .500 record at 41 wins and 41 losses. This season, the Hawks are likely to finish behind the Miami Heat. Miami went all the way to the NBA Finals, before losing to the Denver Nuggets.
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