Atlanta Hawks Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks burst on to the scene last season, going from playoff afterthoughts to Eastern Conference finalists in a jiff. Critics will point to the unusual season to detract from the team’s accomplishments, but the fact of the matter is this is a team that could be a contender for years to come.
Atlanta focused largely on retaining their own players this offseason, rather than make major splashes on the trade market or in free agency. The projected starting lineup will feature very familiar faces to Hawks fans.
The Atlanta Hawks have a clear alpha in their starting lineup, but the rest of the team’s core rotation is up for a ranking interpretation.
Before getting into the starting lineup, it is worth mentioning the players on the fringe. Onyeka Okongwu may one day be the starting center, but he needs more time to develop. Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari have both settled into roles as dynamic scorers off the bench and will continue to fill that space, presumably for the rest of their careers.
Then, there are the guys pushing for starting spots right now. Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter both appear to be on the outside looking in, but the head coach can sub either in at a moment’s notice. Huerter did start 49 games a season ago, while Reddish dealt with injuries and only came off the bench when he returned for the playoffs; the latter projects as a starter in the nearer future.
For now, let’s assume the Hawks roll with a starting lineup of Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Clint Capela. When taken individually, here’s how the five Hawks starters rank.
this offseason</a>, rather than make major splashes on the trade market or in free agency. The projected starting lineup will feature very familiar faces to Hawks fans.</p>
<h2>The Atlanta Hawks have a clear alpha in their starting lineup, but the rest of the team’s core rotation is up for a ranking interpretation.</h2>
<p>Before getting into the starting lineup, it is worth mentioning the players on the fringe. Onyeka Okongwu may one day be the starting center, but he needs more time to develop. Lou Williams and Danilo Gallinari have both settled into roles as dynamic scorers off the bench and will continue to fill that space, presumably for the rest of their careers.</p>
<p>Then, there are the guys pushing for starting spots right now. Cam Reddish and Kevin Huerter both appear to be on the outside looking in, but the head coach can sub either in at a moment’s notice. Huerter did start 49 games a season ago, while Reddish dealt with injuries and only came off the bench when he returned for the playoffs; the latter projects as a starter in the nearer future.</p>
<p>For now, let’s assume the Hawks roll with a starting lineup of Trae Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, John Collins, and Clint Capela. When taken individually, here’s how the five Hawks starters rank.</p>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-416481" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/07/atlanta-hawks-ranking-5-starters/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1125,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1206454403.jpeg" alt="Atlanta Hawks: De'Andre Hunter" width="1600" height="1125" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1206454403.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1206454403-768x540.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 5. SF De’Andre Hunter</h2>
<p>Of all the starters, De’Andre Hunter has the most tenuous grip on a starting role. The prodigious potential of Cam Reddish means Hunter may get squeezed out of the lineup sooner than later.</p>
<p>Hunter averaged slightly more playing time last season during his second year and saw his scoring (15.0 points per game), rebounds (4.8 per game), and assists (1.9 per game) grow as well. His free throw shooting soared as well, up from 76.4 percent to 85.9 percent, with an additional 1.4 attempts per game, to boot.</p>
<p>One area where Hunter lost ground, however, is from beyond the arc. He hit 35.5 percent of his three-pointers on 4.8 attempts per game as a rookie. Last season, he hit just 32.6 percent on 4.1 attempts per game. The issue was particularly pronounced with less than three minutes left in a quarter, when he hit less than 20 percent of his attempts.</p>
<p>Hunter may have been a viable candidate for Most Improved Player last season before a knee injury interrupted his season twice and limited him to 23 regular season games. Reddish is now breathing down his neck, with a lot of different lineup options available to Nate McMillan. If Hunter can show further improvement, he can regain his grip on the starting role and move up this list for future years.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/07/atlanta-hawks-ranking-5-starters/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 4. SG Bogdan Bogdanovic</h2>
<p>Bogdan Bogdanovic started 27 games during his first season with the Hawks. He also came off the bench for 17 games during the maiden voyage, so he can pivot quite quickly between starting games on and off the court.</p>
<p>His first season in Atlanta validated why the Hawks chased after him following his Sacramento Kings days. Bogdanovic set a new career-high, averaging 16.4 points per game. He hit over 90 percent of his free throws for the first time. He also hit a career-best 43.8 percent of his 3-point attempts.</p>
<p>The Serbian also showed some promise from a playmaking perspective. His 3.3 assists per game are far from elite, but they’re respectable from a shooting guard. On a team always looking for an open three, his ability to find his teammates could come in handy if he makes further gains in that realm.</p>
<p>Bogdanovic, like many Hawks, also needs to make some gains on the defensive end. He sported a 114.1 defensive rating last season and averaged 1.1 steals per game, ratcheting that up to 1.6 per game in the postseason. It would help if the guard can be a little more physical on that end.</p>
<p>Because of all the years spent abroad, Bogdanovic is sneaky old for a player still ascending at 29 years old. But if he can keep shooting at the level he did last season, his four-year, $72 million contract could look like a bargain by the end.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/07/atlanta-hawks-ranking-5-starters/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 3. PF John Collins</h2>
<p>The season began with questions about John Collins’ future in Atlanta. It ended with a new multi-year contract after Collins continued to validate his place as an important piece to a championship contender.</p>
<p>Collins actually saw a downturn in many of his numbers from the previous season. The power forward averaged 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. But he took care of the ball better (1.3 turnovers per game) and showed continued promise from three, hitting 39.9 percent of his attempts.</p>
<p>The big man still has plenty of room to grow and the Hawks are banking on that promise. They should also bank on him trying to limit his fouling troubles; last year, Collins committed 193 fouls, the 11th-most in the NBA.</p>
<p>Expectations are going to be high for Collins now that he has his long-awaited contract. Right now, it’s fair to call Collins a good player, maybe even a very good player. But the the Hawks want him to be a great player, an All-Star to play alongside Trae Young for years to come.</p>
<p>He has the potential to do that, but the contract means he needs to get it going quickly, or the boo-birds will come out. Here’s betting on Collins taking the next step in 2021-22.</p>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-426727" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/07/atlanta-hawks-ranking-5-starters/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1173,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2021%2F04%2F1298441877.jpeg" alt="Clint Capela" width="1600" height="1173" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/04/1298441877.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2021/04/1298441877-768x563.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 2. C Clint Capela</h2>
<p>Clint Capela just landed a two-year, $46 million extension. It’s a richly-deserved deal for a big man who remains underrated across the NBA and was, at times, the Hawks’ best player last season.</p>
<p>Capela’s offensive skills are often overlooked, but he proved to be quite capable in that category during his first full season in Atlanta. Capela hit 59.4 percent of his field goals as he averaged 15.2 points per game. He even nabbed his first career triple-double this year.</p>
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<p>His offensive impact isn’t limited to putting the ball in the basket, though. Capela is one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, averaging a career-high 4.7 offensive rebounds per game last season; his 297 offensive rebounds led the NBA. His 17.5 offensive rebound percentage was also best in the league.</p>
<p>Speaking of rebounds, Capela is now the best in the NBA in that facet of the game. He averaged 14.3 total rebounds per game last season, the first time the big man has led the league. In addition to leading the league in offensive rebounds, he finished fifth in total defensive rebounds, a vacuum sucking up all loose boards off the rim.</p>
<p>Capela’s defensive impact goes beyond the boards. The center hit 2.0 blocks per game for the first time in his career last season. The blocks per game ranked fourth in the league and his block percentage ranked fifth. His 106.2 defensive rating ranked just outside the top five.</p>
<p>Capela is solid offensively and spectacular defensively. His presence is what keeps the Hawks defense afloat.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/07/atlanta-hawks-ranking-5-starters/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Atlanta Hawks starters ranked: 1. PG Trae Young</h2>
<p>Who else would it be? Despite his limitations, Trae Young is one of the best and brightest young players around the NBA, with the potential to be an all-time great in Atlanta.</p>
<p>Young actually saw his numbers slide a bit from his second season (when he made the All-Star Game) as the Hawks’ contributions picked up around him. He averaged 25.3 points and 9.4 assists per game, the latter a career high, on 34.3 percent shooting from three-point range.</p>
<p>One of the most important improvements Young made last season was at the free throw line. He was already a great free throw shooter, but last season, he hit 88.6 percent of his attempts, moving into elite status in the category. That’s important for a player who averages close to 10 attempts per game.</p>
<p>The biggest criticism of Young is his defensive game, which is still not good. But he made marginal gains last season, sporting a career-best 1.3 defensive win shares, the same total as his first two seasons combined. He also needs to cut down on turnovers, averaging more than 4.0 per game for the second straight season.</p>
<p>But this is Young’s team. It was never more clear than during the first-round series against the New York Knicks when he exploited the opponent’s defense and made it impossible for New York to keep up, while at the same time feuding with the crowd. His moxie and drive were on full display for a national audience.</p>
<p>Young’s ascendance isn’t written in the stone, but he’s set to be a star player for years to come. With that comes the title of best Hawks starter.</p>
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