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2008 Atlanta Hawks Predictions & Season Preview

Written by Luke Knight

The Atlanta Hawks surged to 37 victories late last season, which resulted in a playoff appearance, ending the NBA’s longest drought. The Hawks took the Celtics to Game 7 in the playoffs before there season came to an end. Now, the Hawks are out to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke. Coach Mike Woodson thinks the Hawks can build on last year’s 37-win season and increase it to 50 or 55 wins. Keep reading to find out if we think the Hawks were a fluke or if we think they will continue to build on last season’s successes. Check out BetUS where the Atlanta Hawks are +1200 odds to win the Southeast Division and +4000 odds to win the Eastern Conference.

Mike Bibby came over from Sacramento in a February trade last season and Atlanta’s scoring average increased from 93.8 points to 103.5 points per game. Bibby averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season. Acie Law, in his second year out of Texas A&M, will backup Bibby, and hopefully gradually start to take over the point. Law fought injuries and inexperience last season, but has been a workout demon this offseason, and could be ready for a jump in playing time and responsibility.

Joe Johnson led the team in scoring with 21.7 points per game while playing 40.8 minutes. He also earned his second straight All-Star Game appearance. Johnson also averaged 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Johnson played every single game last season, and his value was most apparent in a Game 4 win over the Celtics in the playoffs when Johnson had a 20-point 4th quarter. Ronald Murray will get the few minutes left over when Johnson is not on the floor.

Marvin Williams will get the start at small forward. He increased his scoring and rebounding averages for the third straight season, while shooting a career best .462 from the field. Williams was part of the young Hawks that made Atlanta one of the top offensive rebounding teams with 12.3 offensive boards per game. The Hawks had 10 or more offensive boards in 64 games last season. Maurice Evans was imported from Orlando to soften the blow of losing Josh Childress to Greece. Evans is a solid defender, but doesn’t score as well as Childress.

Josh Smith has become one of the top defenders in the NBA. Smith averaged 2.8 blocks per game, which was second in the league, and 1.5 steals per game which was 16th in the league. He was also second on the team in scoring with 17.2 points and rebounding with 8.2 boards. Smith has the ability to guard four positions, which gives the Hawks a lot of flexibility. Solomon Jones contributed in small doses last season and will continue to do the same this year. At 6-10, the Hawks would like to get more out of Jones than they did last season.

Al Horford was the only unanimous choice on the NBA’s All-Rookie team and finished second to Kevin Durant for Rookie of the Year. Horford played center most of last year, and should cover the middle this season, but the natural forward still averaged 10.1 points and 9.7 rebounds a game. Against Boston in the playoffs, Horford’s numbers increased to 12.6 points and 10.4 rebounds. Zaza Pachulia got off to a slow start, but his bench play was a key to the team’s improvement. Pachulia averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in 15 minutes per game.

Final Analysis

The Atlanta Hawks were the youngest team in the playoffs and the third youngest team in the NBA last season behind Chicago and Portland. The Hawks looked fresher than many teams late last year and still will be one of the youngest teams in the NBA. The departure of Josh Childress could hurt, but the rest of the core group remains in tact. There is no apparent ceiling on the potential of Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, or Al Horford, and Joe Johnson is in his prime. With our NBA predictions we have the Hawks finishing 2nd in the Southeast Division and making the playoffs for a second straight season. BetUS has the Hawks at +8000 to win an NBA Championship. This should be a team to keep your eye on throughout the season, because we expect them to improve on last season, but the odds makers are giving them a lot of love, which should mean favorable NBA betting lines.

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Written by Luke Knight on October 28, 2008 · Filed Under NBA Betting Articles, News & Previews

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