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Atlanta Hawks Media Day Impressions

By Jonathan Savitske

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With the Atlanta Hawks set to begin training camp tomorrow at the University of Georgia, today the media and fans got their first glimpse of the 2015-2016 rendition of the team at Philips Arena.

With new uniforms and a completely re-branded team this season, the Atlanta Hawks seem different this year. Going into last season, no one would have thought that they would have ascended to the top of the Eastern Conference during regular season play, but after winning 60 games, they have a target on their backs.

-= Related: Atlanta Hawks: Earl Barron Added to TC Roster =-

In year’s past the Atlanta Hawks have been overlooked both locally and nationally, but as a sign of growth from the team, their media day was broadcast locally on Fox Sports Southeast. This is a small detail, but shows how far the Atlanta Hawks have come from previous seasons as being simply an afterthought.

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Head Coach Mike Budenholzer and the players did not spend time talking about other teams in the league, but rather, how they have improved this offseason and what their focus will be to return to the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond. With the additions of Tiago Splitter, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Justin Holiday, the Atlanta Hawks feel confident, despite losing DeMarre Carroll this offseason to the Toronto Raptors.

In one of the highlights of today’s media event, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer stated that he has yet to decide on a starting small forward, and will watch how things play out during training camp. That could mean that Tim Hardaway Jr., Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore and Justin Holiday will all have the opportunity to show what they bring to the table and make a run at the starting job. The battle for the starting SF position should be exciting to watch — though my money is still on Sefolosha being inserted into the starting role if healthy. 

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Mike Budenholzer also mentioned that the Atlanta Hawks will likely fill their final roster spot, quelling speculation that the Atlanta Hawks may enter the season with only 14 players. Lamar Patterson, Terran Petteway, Edgar Sosa, Earl Barron and DeQuan Jones will all jockey for a spot on the Atlanta Hawks going into opening night.

As reported last week, Kyle Korver, Shelvin Mack and Thabo Sefolosha have been medically cleared to resume basketball activities, and should all hopefully be ready by opening night. Patience will be key during Training Camp as they continue to recover from their injuries.

Atlanta Hawks Training Camp begins tomorrow, and is sure to set the stage for an exciting campaign ahead for the team. Between the battle for the starting SF position and the battle for the final roster spot, the Atlanta Hawks have their eyes set on big things for the 2015-2016 season. Keep it here for ongoing updates throughout Hawks Training Camp.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Bench Still Lethal in 2016?

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