2014-15 NBA Season Preview: Atlanta Hawks

Welcome to theScore's preview of the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks. Visit our preseason hub for previews of all 30 NBA teams.

Atlanta Hawks

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2013-14

Somehow, some way, the Atlanta Hawks made the playoffs in 2013-14. Despite finishing six games under .500 and having their key franchise piece play just 29 games, the Hawks not only showed up to the dance, they pushed the Eastern Conference's top-seeded Indiana Pacers to seven games in the first round. 

After losing Al Horford for the season at the end of December, the Hawks witnessed maturation and development from a number of other pieces in their lineup. Kyle Korver continued to evolve into the league's most efficient 3-point threat, hitting 47.2 percent of his attempts. He set an NBA record by knocking down a 3 in 127 straight games, and improved defensively enough to lead the team in minutes (33.9). 

Along with Korver, Paul Millsap elevated his game enough to make his first All-Star Game appearance, and Jeff Teague handled an increased workload by scoring at a career-best rate. 

It's hard to say that any team that finishes with 38 wins had a successful year, but given the lowered expectations for a team that lost Josh Smith coming into the season and almost immediately lost Horford, a seven-game stand against the Pacers should stick as a point of pride for Hawks fans. 

Offseason Roundup

More than any of the moves the Hawks actually made in the offseason, general manager Danny Ferry's comments regarding a free agent they didn't pursue made the most headlines. 

Ferry's comment that then-free agent forward Luol Deng has "a little African in him" during a team conference call was made public the same week that an email from owner Bruce Levenson outlining ways to increase the team's Caucasian fanbase made the rounds. Levenson announced his intention to sell his stake in the team and Ferry has taken an indefinite leave of absence. 

Oh, and they signed Thabo Sefolosha. 

Additions

PG/SG Kent Bazemore (2/$4M)
*C Elton Brand (1/$2M)
*PG Shelvin Mack (3/$7.3M)
*PF Mike Scott (3/$10M)
SG/SF Thabo Sefolosha (3/$12M)

*Re-signed

Depatures

C Gustavo Ayon (free agency)
F Cartier Martin (free agency)
C Lucas Noguiera (trade)
SG Lou Williams (trade)

2014 Draft

PF Adreian Payne (1st round, 15th overall)
C Walter Tavares (2nd round, 43rd overall)
SF Lamar Patterson (2nd round, 48th overall)

The Hawks grabbed Michigan State forward Adreian Payne in the middle of the first round. Payne was a senior, meaning the Hawks have added a player already near the prime of his ability. 

This isn't a knock on Payne, as he developed a fairly versatile game in his time with the Spartans. At 6-foot-9, he has the outside game to draw attention on the perimeter, which should help with spacing when he's on the floor. 

Our own Blake Murphy highlighted Payne's strengths in our pre-draft scouting report. 

Payne is the rare big man prospect ready to help space the floor from Day 1; his 3-point shooting at the college level should extend to NBA range, and the shot itself is pure. While much of the focus is on a trio of power forwards earlier in the first round, Payne is longer than all of them - a true frontcourt player in size - and he uses his athleticism well at both ends of the floor. He's thought to be a high-character player, too, one who should fit seamlessly into most team cultures.

With their second round pick, the Hawks selected international center Walter Tavares. His strengths are easily identifiable: He stands 7-foot-3, and has a 7-foot-9 wingspan. You can't teach size, after all. The team also flipped a future second-rounder for Lamar Patterson, who could carve out a role in the NBA thanks to his 3-point stroke.

Starting 5

• PG Jeff Teague
• SG Kyle Korver
• SF DeMarre Carroll
• PF Paul Millsap
• C Al Horford

Breakout Player: Kent Bazemore

After a year and a half at the end of the Golden State Warriors bench, Bazemore was set free on a massively undermanned Los Angeles Lakers team. He played 23 games in his first taste of being part of a regular rotation, averaging 13.1 points in 28 minutes. 

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has had a tough road to get to an NBA spot, going undrafted out of Old Dominion, but the #BazedGod may have found his stride.

Bazemore will be a part of a revamped wing rotation in Atlanta, blessed with the size and strength to guard multiple positions. Along with Carroll and Sefolosha, expect Bazemore to use his athleticism to make life difficult for wings around the league. 

Season Expectations

The Eastern Conference is expected to get a little tougher this season, and the Atlanta Hawks are expecting to toughen up along with it. 

Horford will be back in the middle when the season opens, and the offseason additions of Sefolosha and Bazemore are designed to grind out games at the expense of scoring. 

Horford's return alone should improve the Hawks by a few wins, and the perimeter defenders will slow down opposing offenses enough to keep them in most games. Korver's hot hand allows the Hawks to pick up points in bunches when things get rolling, and Payne will only make it easier for the Hawks to continue working the ball inside-out. 

Expect another season near the .500 mark, which could once again be enough for a lower-seeded playoff spot. 

1 to Follow on Social Media: Mike Scott

Mike Scott figures to fit somewhere into the Hawks' frontcourt rotation and the team has shown faith in his ability to do so to the tune of a new three-year, $10-million contract. 

In the meantime, Scott will be blowing up on Instagram, showcasing the greatest collection of sock pictures in the entire NBA.