How the Philadelphia 76ers stack up against the Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks Projected Starting Five:

• Trae Young
• Kevin Huerter
• Evan Turner
• John Collins
• Alex Len
• Other Notable Players: — DeAndre’ Bembry, Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, Allen Crabbe, Damian Jones

Quick prediction:  The Atlanta Hawks will soon become the new NBA hipster team.  The young team that everyone loves because they’re young and fun and somewhat talented, but don’t win quite enough to merit any detractors.  Their games will be mostly low-stakes, but there will be one night in January when they take the Clippers to double OT, and Trae Young and John Collins will combine for about 75 points.   League pass subscribers will proclaim them must-watch television. I will be a part of this, the Hawks are going to be fun.

The Sixers had trouble against the Hawks last season losing the series 1-3.  Two of those games were without Joel Embiid, but one came with the Sixers entire starting five, post-Tobias Harris trade, suited up.  Trae Young hit a memorable floater to sink the Sixers that night in Atlanta. The Sixers had issues defending the Hawks, particularly the combination of Trae Young and Kevin Huerter.  The additions of Josh Richardson and Zhaire Smith should help, and Embiid will not have to chase Len or Damian Jones too far out of the paint like he did with Dewayne Dedmon.

I believe the Hawks will be just as bad if not worse on defense next season.  Dedmon, along with veteran wings Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince, provided some NBA-level play on that end, but they are now off to different teams.  DeAndre’ Bembry is feisty, but will only see his limited bench minutes. De’Andre Hunter projects as a solid defender, but it is rare that a rookie has any impact.  Simmons and Tobias should have their way with anyone the Hawks try to throw at them. Trae Young, a candidate for worst defensive player in the league last season, will have to guard a much bigger player.  Embiid should dominate their center rotation.

All in all, while I think the Hawks will be a blast to watch, but I actually don’t think they will be much better than last season.  Young, Collins, and Huerter should all be better with more experience, but the loss of veterans will destabilize their bench, and put a lot of responsibility on players who might not be quite ready.

I’ll predict a series split, with the home team winning out if it’s only three games. If the Sixers play with maximum effort and have a full roster, they should take care of business. But those are big ifs for a playoff bound team in an 82-game regular season.