Via NBA.com
Key Players: Dennis Schroder, Mike Budenholzer
Not going to sugarcoat things, the Atlanta Hawks look terrible on paper. It was just two years ago the Hawks had an entire starting five win Player of the Month; all five of those players awarded are long gone from Atlanta: Jeff Teague will be running the show in Minnesota, Kyle Korver is giving LeBron assists, Demarre Carroll is trying to regain his form in Brooklyn, and Al Horford and Paul Millsap are trying to make playoff runs in Boston and Denver. With the free agency departures of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Millsap, the Hawks are clearly in the hands of Dennis Schroder and the teachings of 2015 Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer. After Schroder the Hawks' main players are the young core of Taurean Prince, Deandre' Bambry, and Kent Bazemore. Repeat, the Atlanta Hawks look terrible on paper.
Best Case Scenario
Via SB Nation
The Hawks' have one clear objective this upcoming season--lose as much as possible. The only thing Atlanta should focus on winning is the lottery. Dennis Schroder is a tier-2 point guard at best and can't remain the Hawks' best player for long. Through their roster alone, Atlanta is destined for a top-3 pick, and with the teachings of elite coach Mike Budenholzer, the Hawks young players are bound to develop throughout the season. Taurean Prince should be one of the main focuses for development; in 31 minutes a game during postseason play, he almost doubled his points(5.7 to 11.2) and rebound(2.7 to 5.3) averages while boosting his shooting percentage by almost 20%(40% to 58%). After a season of averages dipping across the board, Kent Bazemore living up to his $70 million contract would also be a bright spot for Atlanta. A high lottery pick and overall development will be considered a success for this year's Hawks team.
Worst Case Scenario
Via SLAMonline
The man pictured above can single-handedly create the Hawks' worst possible scenario for the upcoming season. Prime example, the Miami Heat were 11-30 and primed for a top-5 pick; then Erik Spoelstra showed why he's one of the NBA's best coaches by miraculously leading the Heat back to a .500 record. The Hawks don't have the talent of Miami's roster, but Mike Budenholzer somehow coaching this team to even 30 wins would prove disastrous for Atlanta's rebuild. Another disastrous scenario scenario for Atlanta would be a lack of development in Dennis Schroder. Schroder posted impressive averages of 17.9 points and 6.3 assists, but was eighth in the league with 3.3 turnovers a night. He did manage to cut the turnovers down to 1.7 a night, while improving his averages to 24.7 points and 7.7 assists during the playoffs. Schroder can use this season to prove those playoff numbers are sustainable and be a bright spot for all Hawks' fans, or he can regress and add to the upcoming headache all Hawks' fans are soon to endure.
Prediction: 27-55; streak of 10 straight playoff appearances ends. Just focus on the Falcons, Hawks' fans.