Atlanta Hawks 2009-2010 Preview

General — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:35:49 +0000

Background of 2009-2010 Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks couple years ago were one of the safest bets to hit the lottery, the draft lottery that is. But over the past couple of years along with Coach Mike Woodson and the arrival of Joe Johnson this team has proven itself to be an elite Eastern Conference team. However the playoffs haven’t been all that kind to them, and they were first hit by injuries and then swept aside by the Cavaliers. For this team making the playoffs is no longer a goal but a must, and true success will only be achieved by at the very least making the Eastern Conference Finals. It’s no easy task and besides the maturing of their still developing front court of Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford the only additions have been high scoring guard Jamal Crawford and veteran power forward Joe Smith. The question will be whether it’s enough to challenge the Eastern Conference Big 3.

Hawks additions in 2010

Jamal Crawford

Joe Smith

Jeff Teague

Hawks departures in 2010

Ronald Murray

Solomon Jones

Speedy Claxton

Acie Law

Probably Starting Lineup for the 2009 2010 Atlanta Hawks

PG – Mike Bibby
SG – Joe Johnson
SF – Marvin Williams
PF – Josh Smith
C – Al Horford

Atlanta Hawks Guards

The Atlanta Hawks have unquestionably one of the best backcourts in the Association. Mike Bibby might be getting close to his twilight years, but can still consistently give you 15 and 5 while providing stability and clutch in late game situations. Joe Johnson meanwhile would be a superstar if it wasn’t for freaky players like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade at the same position stealing his thunder. Jamal Crawford will be the Hawks’ main threat off the bench, and he’s quite a luxury to have. Ronald Murray might have had career season last year but Jamal Crawford is on an other level. If he can fit in well as a bench player and accept that role, he will be the exact player that the Hawks needed to take the scoring responsibilities when either Mike Bibby or Joe Johnson take a breather. The Hawks’ 19th pick this year Jeff Teague can see some minutes at the point given that he’s a well rounded player and not many other backups are present.

Atlanta Hawks Forwards

At 6′9 and only 23 years of age, Marvin Williams is certainly still a project in the making. But it’s also time he starts showing abit more than he has so far in his young career. Sure he’s suffered some injuries which might have held him back, but this year the Hawks will need him to be a force a the small forward position. LeBron James and Paul Pierce will be players he will need to face and there’s no doubt that he’s going to have to be the top of his game not to be a huge liability in those matchups. At the power forward position for the Hawks, Josh Smith similarly faces some question about his destiny in this league. I would consider him the most athletic player in the league, but he needs to establish himself beyond that as a true ballplayer capable of impacting games on a consistent basis. He’s main problem is his jumpshot and basketball IQ – both areas that don’t have overnight solutions. Joe Smith is a good player to have on your bench, he’s seen it all now and will be a reliable defensive body in the playoffs if Josh Smith zones out of the game. Maurice Evans is another athletic player that can be relied on – he’s quite similar to Williams in athleticism but his proficiency lies more on the defensive end.

Atlanta Hawks Centers

At 6′10 Al Horford is the Haws’ main center and will see most of the minutes. He’s another young player that has experience injuries early on in his career, and he will be hoping to play a full season this year and become more of a low post presence. Zaza Pachulia is a half decent reserve for him that will battle it out when hes out there and can even shadow as a starting center if more injuries hit this unlucky Hawks team.

Best Case Scenario for the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks will need alot of their ‘promising’ players to start holding their end of the promise. If this happens and Jamal Crawford can make the transition to an effective 6th man, then this team can surprise a Big 3 team give the right dose of luck.

Worst Case Scenario for the Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks’ biggest weaknesses were at that 3 and 5 spot, especially with recent injuries to those players and the fact that nothing much has been done to comfort those concerns is alarming. Jamal Crawford might be a better player than Murray but it will be hard for him to be more efficient than him. All this would lead you to think that the Hawks haven’t improved enough this offseason to do much better than what they did last season.

Hawks 2010 Outlook

Hawks should finish fourth through sixth depending on their health. If they can get the 4th seed they will be in the same situation as last year facing a title contender in the second round and they should do slightly better but hardly enough to force an upset.

Atlanta Hawks 2010 Predictions

Record: 47-35

Surprise Player: Jamal Crawford doing a decent impression at the 6th man position

Key Player: Josh Smith’s time to prove he’s more than an athletic specimen has come

That wraps up the Atlanta Hawks 2009-2010 season preview and our detailed look at the Hawks in the 2010 NBA season.

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