Hawks Midterm Grades. (NBA.COM)

[Diesel]

Hawks Midterm Grade

B-

Quote

To a man, the Hawks insisted they would not let the success achieved during their record 60-win and Eastern Conference finals season of a year ago impact the way they operated this year. But that's easier said than done. Expectations have a way of being blown out of control when you win the way the Hawks did last season. And the truth is they have struggled to find the flow that saw them win at an elite level last season. Budenholzer has tinkered with his lineups and rotations in an attempt to find a remedy and has yet to come up with a solution.

The trade deadline will present the Hawks with an opportunity to assess their situation and figure out if a move, or two, can help solve some of their issues. The Hawks are still checking all of the boxes statistically and analytically, but they don't pass the eye test every night.

-- Sekou Smith

 

I have to agree with a lot of what we see here.   We don't always pass the eye test.  Atleast we beat the teams we're supposed to.

What do you think?

 

[Guest]

We don't always beat the teams we are supposed to - see Brooklyn and Charlotte and Bucks.

Can't argue with the assessment.

If Teague and Al was playing on Millsap's level we'd be better.  And I don't want to here that Al is putting up similar stats to last season - I want more if he wants a max deal.  And if Kyle was hitting a few more 3s we'd be better.

[macdaddy]

Yeah that's about right.   I will say they looked like GS in that orlando game.   They just seemed to be toying with them.  But that may say more about where Orlando is right now.   It's all pretty simple.  We need a good wing scorer off the bench and a physical big who rebounds to backup sap and horf.   Going into the playoffs with just splitter off the bench is super risky unless Edy starts to be a rotation player.

[hazer]

The difference is Kyle.......

[benhillboy]

I'm confident Bud can get Edy and Hardaway to be efficient and fill the holes but I don't see it being this season.

[Alex]

First round exit like I have been saying all along.  I also don't understand this idea about the Hawks making moves at the trade deadline.  Where is this imaginary cap room coming from?

[cam1218]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

We don't always beat the teams we are supposed to - see Brooklyn and Charlotte and Bucks.

Can't argue with the assessment.

If Teague and Al was playing on Millsap's level we'd be better.  And I don't want to here that Al is putting up similar stats to last season - I want more if he wants a max deal.  And if Kyle was hitting a few more 3s we'd be better.

Add in losing to the Twolves twice, a home loss to the Jazz, a home loss to the Knicks and blowing the massive lead against the Raptors and we really aren't winning the games I feel we are supposed to win.

I agree with the assessment as well, but I'd probably move us up to a solid B.

[SalvorMallow]

12 minutes ago, Alex said:

First round exit like I have been saying all along.  I also don't understand this idea about the Hawks making moves at the trade deadline.  Where is this imaginary cap room coming from?

I must've missed where he said we are making moves that involve taking back more salary than we're sending out. 

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Alex said:

First round exit like I have been saying all along.  I also don't understand this idea about the Hawks making moves at the trade deadline.  Where is this imaginary cap room coming from?

uuumm.....we'll be giving up something and getting something back? just maybe!!

[Lurker]

Last sentence is basically what I'm saying. Have actually moved into the top 10 in offense and defense (I do not buy it on the defense end), yet they are not even close to equaling the 3rd best team on there in record.

Why?

Throw out the games against elite teams, those don't matter in this exercise. They especially wouldn't if:

Back to back games weren't blown by one possession against Utah and Brooklyn (Utah is a little forgivable, but Brooklyn?).

A 17 point lead wasn't blown vs Toronto.

They didn't lose at home vs the Knicks (on the road is kinda forgivable).

Mike Scott didn't blow a dunk vs Milwaukee.

I'm not even including three other games, two vs Minnesota in which the first one they pretty blatantly took them lightly in the first half and in the other they probably win without missed FTs and that recent ugly Charlotte game.

I also do not buy the idea that teams like Toronto, Miami, Chicago, and Indiana have another gear that they are hiding. The only one that really looks good at the moment is Toronto and we'll see on them (there has been analysis saying they may be legit this time). Miami has a lot of packed paints waiting for them in the playoffs and is likely a first round exit unless they add shooting, Chicago is better off without Derrick Rose entirely (I'd be pretty scared of them if they ran everything through Jimmy Butler), and Indiana is better but they are not at their 2012/2013-2013/2014 form at all and I don't think they're finding it this season without significant moves.

[Lurker]

Basically what I'm saying is the Eastern Conference "improving" is being overhyped. Unlike other recent-ish seasons that had at least 2 great teams at the same level, YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT this season.

2007-2010 had Boston, Cleveland, Orlando.

2010-2012 had Chicago, Miami, and Boston.

2012-2014 had Miami and Indiana.

This season it's Cleveland head and shoulders above everyone else. There's no question about it. There MAY be one team that is able to take them to 6 games in this conference, everyone else is going to be out in 5 or less without changes, and feel free to bookmark this. This conference is Cleveland and a sea of okay teams that are going to win 44 to 52 games.

[Alex]

58 minutes ago, SalvorMallow said:

I must've missed where he said we are making moves that involve taking back more salary than we're sending out. 

Well then the Hawks aren't trying to improve at the deadline if that were the case.

[Alex]

56 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

uuumm.....we'll be giving up something and getting something back? just maybe!!

Well in order to get better you generally have to add salary.   So I don't see how the Hawks can get better at the deadline.  

[TheFuzz]

1 hour ago, Alex said:

Well in order to get better you generally have to add salary.   So I don't see how the Hawks can get better at the deadline.  

We can add salary, just not a whole lot. I don't know the new CBA that well, but basically if we're sending out less than $10M we can receive up to $5M more than we send out. If the deal is bigger they need to be within something like %125 of total salaries.

However, I do agree that improving at the deadline will be difficult.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Alex said:

Well in order to get better you generally have to add salary.   So I don't see how the Hawks can get better at the deadline.  

That is not true at the trade deadline,  when Cavs made their trades last season they didn't add salary,  granted they had a higher number than the Hawks. But you still have to remain within a small % of the salaries going in and out.

[TheFuzz]

53 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

That is not true at the trade deadline,  when Cavs made their trades last season they didn't add salary,  granted they had a higher number than the Hawks. But you still have to remain within a small % of the salaries going in and out.

If I remember correctly, the Cavs had a lot of trade exceptions that they used where they don't have to send out any salary, just draft picks.

[Guest]

20 minutes ago, TheFuzz said:

If I remember correctly, the Cavs had a lot of trade exceptions that they used where they don't have to send out any salary, just draft picks.

IIRC the trade exceptions still count as part of their total cap figure, so their actual cap figure did not increase. @hawksfanatic can clarify.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

IIRC the trade exceptions still count as part of their total cap figure, so their actual cap figure did not increase. @hawksfanatic can clarify.

Did @hawksfanatic tutor you on this stuff. You've become kind of an expert now. Did you guys have workshops in the chatrooms without consulting me. I'm jealous I wanna be a cap expert too...:-(

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Spud2Nique said:

Did @hawksfanatic tutor you on this stuff. You've become kind of an expert now. Did you guys have workshops in the chatrooms without consulting me. I'm jealous I wanna be a cap expert too...:-(

How'd you miss the workshop, that's what you get for messing with @kg01 and not paying attention.

[Guest]

58 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

IIRC the trade exceptions still count as part of their total cap figure, so their actual cap figure did not increase. @hawksfanatic can clarify.

Is there a shorthand abbreviation for "yes you remembered correctly?" YYRC.

The only caveat is that the Trade Exception will not count towards Salary or Luxury Tax but it does have a caphold much like a 1st round pick.