Hawks in the 2018 post season

[Wurider05]

Would you all be upset if we made the playoffs this season?  i honestly think that we are going to the playoffs and will be a better team that many expect. 

[AHF]

Depends on the circumstances for me.  If we have guys emerging as stars then I'll be happy.  Collins breaks out as the next great big man; Dennis takes a leap to AS level; Prince looks like he could hit Klay Thompson levels of prowess, etc.  Sign me up.

If we back into the playoffs winning 34 games, get solid years but don't have breakout seasons from people and instead grind out enough wins through Bud's good coaching to get our #$*es handed to us in the first round by Boston or Cleveland then I will be pissed to end up with the #15 pick again.

[JTB]

3 minutes ago, Wurider05 said:

Would you all be upset if we made the playoffs this season?  i honestly think that we are going to the playoffs and will be a better team that many expect. 

Nope I’m one if the few here that will be ok with the playoffs or with not making the playoffs.

heres my thing ...I think the hawks are being severely underrated defensively. I believe this young group has a more than huge opportunity in being a top 15 or higher defense which will propel them to win most of their winnable games and could take them to the playoffs being that the east isn’t very challenging.

I feel like we have some very gifted young defensive players with the offensive talent being the huge question mark.

[JTB]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

Depends on the circumstances for me.  If we have guys emerging as stars then I'll be happy.  Collins breaks out as the next great big man; Dennis takes a leap to AS level; Prince looks like he could hit Klay Thompson levels of prowess, etc.  Sign me up.

If we back into the playoffs winning 34 games, get solid years but don't have breakout seasons from people and instead grind out enough wins through Bud's good coaching to get our #$*es handed to us in the first round by Boston or Cleveland then I will be pissed to end up with the #15 pick again.

I get that....but if the young group can get to the playoffs even if it’s due to buds good coaching  to me that proves they are getting better....maybe not way better but at least improving.

its just never a bad thing to me to get to the playoffs. They are so young we’d have so much time to continue develop them.

[AHF]

12 minutes ago, JTB said:

I get that....but if the young group can get to the playoffs even if it’s due to buds good coaching  to me that proves they are getting better....maybe not way better but at least improving.

its just never a bad thing to me to get to the playoffs. They are so young we’d have so much time to continue develop them.

If you are getting key performances from Dedmon, Marco, Ilyasova, Babbit, etc. all of them are unrestricted free agents next year.  

For me, it depends on the drivers.  I don't think we have the MVP level player we need to be contenders now and think the draft represents the best pipeline to acquire that talent.  If we don't capitalize on that opportunity because of vets on short-term deals all doing their Bobby Sura impressions then I will not be happy.  At all.

[benhillboy]

I wouldn’t be mad at all.  I just wanna see some organic team ball.  The four teams that had it going the most in the last few years (us, GS, SA, and Bos) have all gotten away from it in varying degrees.  Even The Grindhouse is closed for business.

Edited September 27, 2017 by benhillboy

[hazer]

Same here. I just want to see pace, space, passing, defense. Should be an exciting season of youth and team ball.

[Wretch]

I can't say it any better than AHF has.  It would depend on HOW we make the postseason.  I have zero problems with a surprising young playoff team led by at least one emerging marquee talent.  This is not the same as stumbling into the playoffs because of a lack of competition.  Which is what I fear is going to happen.  Without a breakout or two, the bottom of the East looks pretty sketchy:


 

[aali34]

The Ringer's Take- 

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/10/1/16381240/atlanta-hawks-2017-nba-preview

[CP61]

I can't see it happening without some allstar level breakout players. If the team backs up into the playoffs like they did last year, that's very very detrimental to the future. The good news is, this team should be terrible. Much more terrible that the other teams in the bottom of the east. Our best player is an average PG.

[hawkman]

On ‎9‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 3:16 PM, AHF said:

If you are getting key performances from Dedmon, Marco, Ilyasova, Babbit, etc. all of them are unrestricted free agents next year.  

For me, it depends on the drivers.  I don't think we have the MVP level player we need to be contenders now and think the draft represents the best pipeline to acquire that talent.  If we don't capitalize on that opportunity because of vets on short-term deals all doing their Bobby Sura impressions then I will not be happy.  At all.

I can't agree with this enough. We don't need any Stephen Jacksons or Bob Suras this season. Scraping into the Playoffs. getting stomped, and then getting a pick in the mid to late teens is not acceptable when the Draft is pretty much our only avenue to get top tier talent on this team. I'm sure Schlenk knows that.

[Packfill]

I agree with AHF 100%.  A 35 win team could make the playoffs in the east this year though, and if that is the case, I hope it is not the Hawks.