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Atlanta Hawks: Brief Thoughts on Dwight Howard Trade

By W. M. Lawson

Apr 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) attempts a shot against Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) and forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) in the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) attempts a shot against Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) and forward Ersan Ilyasova (7) in the first quarter of game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Atlanta Hawks announced a trade with the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday night. This signals a major reconstruction is underway for a 2nd Atlanta Team.

The Dwight Howard experiment is over in his home town. I, like many, had always kind of dreamed of Howard playing for our home town team. Even with his “Diva-esque” posture these last few years, the idea was that coming home would change that. It didn’t work. Last night, the Atlanta Hawks announced they were shipping him to division rival Charlotte.

Without going into too much analysis about the details of the trade (there are others better suited), here are a few brief thoughts on Dwight Howard and our beloved Hawks:

  • Howard’s Hawks Tenure. It was a mixed bag, really. He did give us a presence on the boards for the first time in…forever. That was nice. And frankly, there were a few games when Millsap was injured that Howard carried the team. But, ultimately, he didn’t earn his money. On court arguments, in-season arrests, public complaining about PT, it was all too much of the wrong stuff, and not enough of the good stuff.

    • Howard’s Contract

    . I, truly, didn’t expect the Hawks’ Front Office to be able to move his contract. They got nothing in return, but this could be addition by subtraction. If you’ve gone down the wrong road, you know, sometimes, you have to turn around, and go backwards for a while, in order to get on the right path.

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  • Atlanta’s 2017-2018 Prospects. Not good, in my opinion. In the earlier quasi-rebuild, when then GM Danny Ferry moved Joe Johnson’s huge contract, we had Horford and Teague to build around. Now, unless they attack free agency the way Atlanta United attacks defences, early and often, we will have Schroeder and Bazemore to build around. Count me as highly skeptical to outright pessimistic. I expect to have lottery picks for the next few years.
  • Atlanta Hawks’ Future. But, if the current GM Travis Schlenk is a good hire, he’ll put is “Golden State” touch on this team, and the misery won’t last long. I still believe in Coach Bud (as a Coach), and in Atlanta fans to support the team.

    • That last point, though, is interesting. Remember, the Atlanta Braves are currently undergoing another major reconstruction. It will be interesting to see how patient Atlanta fans will be if two of their teams undergo a complete rebuild and it takes a long time.

    Next: Atlanta Braves: 1st Round Draft Pick History From 2007-Present

    We’ll always love our teams. But there is a difference between an impatient love and one that is patient and forgiving. We’re about to find out what each looks like.

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