ESPN 2013-14 East Standings [update: Post #86]

[Fully]

Yes, losing Josh Smith will hurt the Hawks but but they did a nice job of replacing him with Millsap on the fly (not as good of a defender but a much more consistent force on O). Everyone else they lost played minimal roles for them last season with the exception of Harris. But he's on the back side of his career and has health concerns anyway. They have however picked up 2 rookies who were top sixteen picks and will have Lou Williams for a full season after losing him to injury last year half way through the campaign.

At the end of the day, the Hawks were 6 games over .500 last year. The Raptors were 14 games under .500 last season. It is up to the Raptors to go out and prove that they're a better team than Atlanta now - not the other way around.

It's like you guys think that the Raptors are the only team in the East who are going to be internally improving, or will have great chemistry, or will benefit from having a full training camp with their roster.

[Primer]

Yes, losing Josh Smith will hurt the Hawks but but they did a nice job of replacing him with Millsap on the fly (not as good of a defender but a much more consistent force on O). Everyone else they lost played minimal roles for them last season. They've also picked up 2 rookies who were top sixteen picks and will have Lou Williams for a full season after losing him to injury last year half way through the campaign.

At the end of the day, the Hawks were 6 games over .500 last year. The Raptors were 14 games under .500 last season. It is up to the Raptors to go out and prove that they're a better team than Atlanta now - not the other way around.

It's like you guys think that the Raptors are the only team in the East who are going to be internally improving, or will have great chemistry, or will benefit from having a full training camp with their roster.

Nice post, and thanks for pointing out Atlanta was 6 games over .500 last year. The Hawks got there with their starting SG Lou Williams injured for the entire second half of the season, and they also lost their backup center Zaza to injury too. Atlanta definitely got better on offense by swapping Smith with Millsap. Anyone who doesn't see that hasn't watched much Hawks games.

The best and most obvious argument for the Hawks in the playoffs is that they easily made the playoffs last year despite injuries to key players, and they are returning more or less the same team this year. It's a team full of vets who make the playoffs every single year. Anyone thinking the Raps are going to leapfrog the Hawks are going to be in for a rude awakening come regular season.

[DanH]

When Gay arrived last year, I actually thought he showed a lot of willingness to get Jonas involved and forge some kind of relationship with him. Thought it was a really positive sign. Not something I really expected from Gay.

Only guy on the team that seems to know how to throw an entry pass to the post.

[Sam17]

Only guy on the team that seems to know how to throw an entry pass to the post.

You learn a few things when playing with Gasol and Randolph for 4 seasons

[ceez]

Rudy probably also appreciates what keeping your bigs happy and involved does for your own game

[DG88]

Yes, losing Josh Smith will hurt the Hawks but but they did a nice job of replacing him with Millsap on the fly (not as good of a defender but a much more consistent force on O). Everyone else they lost played minimal roles for them last season with the exception of Harris. But he's on the back side of his career and has health concerns anyway. They have however picked up 2 rookies who were top sixteen picks and will have Lou Williams for a full season after losing him to injury last year half way through the campaign.

At the end of the day, the Hawks were 6 games over .500 last year. The Raptors were 14 games under .500 last season. It is up to the Raptors to go out and prove that they're a better team than Atlanta now - not the other way around.

It's like you guys think that the Raptors are the only team in the East who are going to be internally improving, or will have great chemistry, or will benefit from having a full training camp with their roster.

Great post. Atlanta has been in the playoffs for how long now. We still have to prove that we're good enough to get in. Our team added who, Hansbrough, Augustine, Buycks and Novak. None of those players will make a huge difference in the W's column. Everything will hinge on our starting line up playing well enough. Right now the only starter we can say with some certainty that will play better is Jonas Valanciunas.

[p00ka]

Nice post, and thanks for pointing out Atlanta was 6 games over .500 last year. The Hawks got there with their starting SG Lou Williams injured for the entire second half of the season, and they also lost their backup center Zaza to injury too. Atlanta definitely got better on offense by swapping Smith with Millsap. Anyone who doesn't see that hasn't watched much Hawks games.

The best and most obvious argument for the Hawks in the playoffs is that they easily made the playoffs last year despite injuries to key players, and they are returning more or less the same team this year. It's a team full of vets who make the playoffs every single year. Anyone thinking the Raps are going to leapfrog the Hawks are going to be in for a rude awakening come regular season.

New head coach, which can totally change the style and dynamics of the team. J Smith gone, Zaza gone, both of whom Horford has played along side his entire career. Now he has to adapt to very different teammates that he has never played with before. Harris, who was a big part of their team last year, also gone. Just how many "vets who make the playoffs every single year" do you think they have left?

I have no idea whether they can come together and be a good team or not, but it's inaccurate to suggest they have more or less the same team that has made the playoffs every year.

[NoPropsneeded]

Atlanta isn't that same team like at all. New coach, almost completely new roster and multiple downgrades (Smith to Millsap, Zaza to Brand, lost some decent wing players). Defensively they have gotten worse for sure, Ivan Johnson and Zaza were big (no pun intended) part of their defensive system.

[Rapstor4Life]

I think its better to be underestimated going into next season than have the Raps roster go in over confident. Use this list and all the other bullshit as fuel and let that shit BURN.

[NoPropsneeded]

I think its better to be underestimated going into next season than have the Raps roster go in over confident. Use this list and all the other bullshit as fuel and let that shit BURN.

Meek Mill?

[chris]

it is extremely amusing to me how the perceived value of Josh Smith amongst Raptor homers swings so drastically depending on whether their narrative is that the Raptors are definitely better than the Pistons or whether the Raptors are definitely better than Atlanta.

[Primer]

Atlanta isn't that same team like at all. New coach, almost completely new roster and multiple downgrades (Smith to Millsap, Zaza to Brand, lost some decent wing players). Defensively they have gotten worse for sure, Ivan Johnson and Zaza were big (no pun intended) part of their defensive system.

Atlanta has the same exact starting PG, SG, SF, and C as last year. 4 out of 5 starters are identical. How is that not the same at all?

Brand is definitely better than Zaza in every facet of the game except offensive rebounding. I don't think it's even close. Smith to Millsap is a defensive downgrade but an offensive upgrade. Josh killed their offense all the time with boneheaded plays (and lots of terrible 3's and long 2's), and it's not like Millsap is a bad defender, he is quite good, but Smith is better. Ivan Johnson was so inconsequential to what the Hawks were doing that they just relinquished his rights to get Ayon off waivers. Hardly a key to their defense.

The new coach is an upgrade too in my eyes. Larry Drew was successful despite himself due to inheriting a playoff team full of veterans, a job he shouldn't have even been considered for if Atlanta weren't so god damned cheap at the time.

[NoPropsneeded]

Atlanta has the same exact starting PG, SG, SF, and C as last year. 4 out of 5 starters are identical. How is that not the same at all?

Brand is definitely better than Zaza in every facet of the game except offensive rebounding. I don't think it's even close. Smith to Millsap is a defensive downgrade but an offensive upgrade. Josh killed their offense all the time with boneheaded plays (and lots of terrible 3's and long 2's), and it's not like Millsap is a bad defender, he is quite good, but Smith is better. Ivan Johnson was so inconsequential to what the Hawks were doing that they just relinquished his rights to get Ayon off waivers. Hardly a key to their defense.

The new coach is an upgrade too in my eyes. Larry Drew was successful despite himself due to inheriting a playoff team full of veterans, a job he shouldn't have even been considered for if Atlanta weren't so god damned cheap at the time.

Brand is a horrible defender. and i meant to say their bench has changed completely and Josh smith was one of the main reasons their team even made the playoffs. Not to mention that Horford has been playing out of position his entire career

[p00ka]

it is extremely amusing to me how the perceived value of Josh Smith amongst Raptor homers swings so drastically depending on whether their narrative is that the Raptors are definitely better than the Pistons or whether the Raptors are definitely better than Atlanta.

Many fans of a team are homers? I guess they're just FANaticals. That aside, to put such kind of flexible opinions in perspective, taking lime away from lemons is viewed differently than adding it to grapes. Sometimes players have different value on different teams.

[Primer]

Brand is a horrible defender. and i meant to say their bench has changed completely and Josh smith was one of the main reasons their team even made the playoffs. Not to mention that Horford has been playing out of position his entire career

What the hell are you talking about? Brand is a really good defender. His D Rating the last 3 years has been 103, 96, and 102. Those are great numbers. For comparison, Josh Smith's D Rating the past 3 years has been 102, 96, and 101. Almost exactly the same as Brand. Furthermore, Brand has been an above average defender his entire career, which makes your statement even more perplexing.

The Hawks bench was weak as hell last year and has only gotten better (guys like Deshawn Stevenson and Anthony Tolliver were getting heavy minutes off the bench last year). Josh Smith was replaced by Millsap, who also happens to be really really good in case you haven't noticed.

Not sure why you bring up Horford playing out of position, since as you mentioned he's been doing it his whole career and has made multiple all star games and taken the Hawks to the playoffs every single year of his career.