Atlanta preview

Preview. Atlanta Hawks. By George Wang. 99-00 Record : 28-54 Best Player : Dikembe Mutombo, 11.5ppg. 14.1rpg, 269blks. Mutombo is a true warrior on the defensive end and a very underrated scorer on the offensive side. Worst Player : J.R Rider, was a destructive force on and off the court. Eventually leading to the resignation of Lenny Wilkins as head coach. Rising Star : Jason Terry, 8.1ppg, 4.3apg, 90stls. Demarr Johnson, 6th pick in draft. Key Acquisitions : Demarr Johnson. Key Losses : J.R Rider. Trade rumors : None.	Best move this off season : Not re-signing the troubled and at times very destructive J.R Rider to a new contract. Worst move this off season : Firing the winningest coach in NBA history and replacing him with a unproven College coach with a loosing record. Tell Me why? The Hawks should not be in the lottery next year.
ProjectedLineup	2001TeamRoster
C DikembeMutombo. The heart and soul of this team, always leads by example and is a great role model for younger players. PF AlanHenderson. He is serviceable but the Hawks will really be looking for the disappointing Lorenzen Wright to turn around his horror 99-00 campaign and battle with Henderson for the starting job. SF JimJackson. At least the hawks got something in return in the dreadful Steve Smith trade. Jackson averaged 16.7ppg and 5rpg and started to blossom towards the end of last season. Look for his numbers to increase this year with the departure of Rider. SG DemarrJohnson. I personally believe he is the steal of the draft at No.7. He may be raw and a little weak defensively now, but given two years to develop, he will be the star to lead this franchise back to the playoffs. PG. JasonTerry. Showed glimpses of being a good player last year, he has a bright future if he plays to his potential. His game reminds me very much of a young Kenny Anderson. 6thMan. Either Henderson, Wright or Laphonso Ellis. Any of these players can become consistent contributors if they find their form of the past. Ellis can produce if he can stay injury free, Henderson needs to find the consistency that made him the league's most improved player in '97. While Wright must prove that he is not the next Pervis Ellison. Look for one or more of these guys to be gone by the All-star break if they do not perform. WhatTheyHave. What the Hawk's have is a bunch of hard working players that grind out their stats in the likes of Mutombo, Henderson, Jackson and co. They also have a lot of softness up the middle, inspite of Mutombo's best efforts .The hawks also have some inside and outside scoring thanks to Mutombo, Henderson and Jackson on the blocks. And Terry and Demarr Johnson on the perimeter. Surprisingly, the Hawks have a decent bench that belies their 28-54 record. Chris Crawford, laphonso Ellis, Wright and Roshown McCloud all have some uses to the team. WhatTheyNeed. The Hawk's really needed a game breaker, a star that can score 20pts consistently night in night out. They could not attract any in free agency this year ( Hill, McGrady, Rice, Jones, Duncan ). The Hawks hope Johnson will be that man but I think he is still a good 2 years from being a consistent scorer because he is not physically ready. I hate to say this but can anyone spell J.R Rider's name? 2001Projection. The Hawk's may not be as bad as last year. Then again they might be worse. Their roster has largely remained the same so If they can get some of their players to step up to the next level ( Terry, Johnson, Wright ) they will be a better ball club. Having said this though, I don't expect them to be anything more than just horrible. They will again probably end up with a losing record visiting the lottery again next year. More Teams.	Drew Barry G Regected by the Sydney Kings. Cal Bowdler F After disappointing rookie year, must improve to keep his roster spot. Laphonso Ellis F Can still play and put up decent numbers when not injured. Dion Glover G Has heaps of talent, but held back by injuries. Look for him to break out this season. Alan Henderson F Solid as a 1970 Volvo. Jim Jackson G/F Coming into his own again. Could show old form of Dallas days. Anthony Johnson G They've cut him once, so why even sign this guy again? Demarr johnson G/F Budding star, has all the tools but requires mental toughness. Roshown McLeod F His Duke pedigree is beginning to show. Could surprise a lot of coaches. Hanno Mottola F Candidate for injury reserve. Dikembe Mutombo C Still one of the premier defensive centers in the game. A true leader. Jason Terry G showed glimpses last year, now must be more consistent as a floor leader. Scootie Penn G Could be the steal of the draft, great floor general. Too bad his on a team with no one to lead. Lorenzen Wright C Must improve this season to avoid the next Pervis Ellison tag being placed on him. Chris Crawford F Plays in the Don MacLean mould.