In a 30-part series leading up to the start of the 2021-22 National Basketball Association season, we will take a look at each NBA franchise from a fantasy perspective. The first team we will review is the Atlanta Hawks.
For the first time in four years, the Atlanta Hawks made the NBA postseason in 2020-21. A major reason was because of the emergence of their rising star, Trae Young of Lubbock, Texas. Young is heading into his fourth NBA season since being selected fifth overall from the University of Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 NBA Draft.
There is no doubt Young is an exceptional point guard, who is ranked fifth among NBA point guards in fantasy. Last season he had a field goal percentage of .438, free throw percentage of .886, 136 three-pointers, 1594 points, 245 rebounds, 594 assists, 53 steals and 261 turnovers for 2361 fantasy points*.
Two other Hawks players should be taken in the first four rounds. John Collins is ranked seventh among power forwards and sixth among centers. Last year he had a field goal percentage of .581, free throw percentage of .812, 1451 points, 650 rebounds, 108 assists, 62 steals, 90 blocked shots, and 138 turnovers for 2223 fantasy points.
Another Hawks big man to consider is center Clint Capela of Geneva, Switzerland. Capela is ranked 10th among centers. Last season he had a field goal percentage of .594, free throw percentage of .573, 956 points, 903 rebounds, 49 assists, 44 steals, 129 blocked shots and 73 turnovers. Where Capela may not be the crispest shooter and a bad free throw shooter, he makes up for it with his rebounds and block totals.
Other Hawks to consider in the later rounds are power forward Danillo Gallinari, big man Bogdan Bogdanovic, and De’Andre Hunter. Last season Hunter missed more than half the season with a knee injury, but should be a strong contributor to Atlanta this year at small forward if healthy.
*Please note: To calculate NBA fantasy points for point guards, shooting guards and small forwards, I use the formula (3PTM+Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals-Turnovers). For power forwards and centers, I use the formula (Points+Rebounds+Assists+Steals+Blocks-Turnovers).
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