Atlanta Hawks Season Preview

Oct 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) scores past Memphis Grizzlies center

(20) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Hawks 82-81. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

THE STARTERS – BACKCOURT

Jeff Teague: The Atlanta Hawks’ starting lineup remains mostly intact from last season’s group, save for the exit of DeMarre Carroll. Jeff Teague returns as the Hawks’ floor general, following up an All-Star campaign from last season. Teague elevated his game to new heights last season and has become arguably one of the top point guards in the league. This preseason, Jeff Teague struggled a bit with his jump shot, but looked in midseason form when getting to the basket.

The Atlanta Hawks’ offense is not reliant on Jeff Teague, but is infinitely better when its starting PG is playing well. If Teague continues to improve his outside shot, the has a good chance of returning to the NBA All-Star game this February representing the Hawks.

It’s difficult to really quantify Teague’s importance to the Atlanta Hawks, as the Hawks’ offensive scheme is an amalgamation of contributions from the other four starters — but with a healthy Jeff Teague, the Atlanta offense is much more dynamic. Teague’s ability to create his own shot, penetrate to the basket and to play the pick and roll game with the Hawks’ bigs enable the offense to exploit mismatches. I expect another strong year from Jeff Teague, and fully believe he will continue to improve his game.

Sep 28, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and guard

(26) reacts during media day at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Korver: Kyle Korver will once again start for the Atlanta Hawks at the shooting guard position in the 2015-2016 season. Korver had a historically good year shooting the ball last year, shooting 49.2 percent from three-point range in 2014-2015. There is no doubting Korver’s ability from long-range and his importance to the Atlanta Hawks as whole. His ability to move without the ball and to attract the opposition’s defense creates mismatches for the rest of the Hawks to take advantage of on the offensive end.

Korver suffered a season-ending injury during the Eastern Conference Finals when Cavaliers’ point guard Matthew Dellevadova dove into Korver’s ankle with reckless abandon while trying to recover a loose ball. Kyle Korver underwent two offseason surgeries and was unable to participate in basketball activities with the team until the start of training camp.

Though Korver’s offseason surgeries shouldn’t inhibit his shooting ability, Korver has looked somewhat off during the preseason; which is fully expected. Now healthy and with a full season ahead of him, Kyle Korver should produce at a similar clip as he did last season, and attract the same amount of defensive attention on the wing.

Next: A New Starter at Small Forward