Showing posts with label Atlanta Hawks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atlanta Hawks. Show all posts

Friday, July 24, 2015

NBA Summer Forecast: 2015-16 Eastern Conference Standings


 1. Cleveland Cavaliers

   Players added

Via draft:
Forward Cedi Osman (No. 31)
Forward Sir'Dominic Pointer (No. 53)

Via free agency:
Guard Mo Williams (from Hornets)
Forward Richard Jefferson (from Mavs)

Players Lost*

Via free agency:
Center Kendrick Perkins (to Pelicans)

Via trade:
Center Brendan Haywood (to Trail Blazers, who waived him)
Guard/Forward Mike Miller (to Trail Blazers, who waived him)

 Via retirement:
Forward Shawn Marion

2. Chicago Bulls



Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Bobby Portis (No. 22)

Players Lost


3. Toronto Raptors


Players Added

Via draft:
Guard Delon Wright (No. 20)
Guard Norman Powell (No. 46)

Via free agency:

Forward DeMarre Carroll (from Hawks)
Forward/Center Luis Scola (from Pacers)
Guard Cory Joseph (from Spurs)

Forward/Center Bismack Biyombo (from Hornets)


Players Lost

Via free agency:

Forward Amir Johnson (to Celtics)
Guard Lou Williams (to Lakers)
Forward Tyler Hansbrough (to Hornets)



Via trade:
Guard Greivis Vasquez (to Bucks)
Forward/Center Tomislav Zubcic (to Thunder)

4. Miami Heat


Players Added

Via draft:
Guard/Forward Justise Winslow (No. 10)
Guard/Forward Josh Richardson (No. 40)

Via free agency:
Forward/Center Amar'e Stoudemire (from Mavs)
Forward Gerald Green (from Suns)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Forward Michael Beasley 

 Via trade:
Guard Shabazz Napier (to Magic)
Guard Zoran Dragic (to Celtics)

5. Atlanta Hawks


Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Marcus Eriksson (No. 50)
Forward/Center Dimitrios Agravanis (No. 59)

Via free agency:
Guard Justin Holiday (from Warriors)

Via trade:
Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (from Knicks)
Center Tiago Splitter (from Spurs)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Center Pero Antic (to Fenerbahce, Turkey)
Forward DeMarre Carroll (to Raptors)
Forward John Jenkins (to Mavs)

 Waived:
Forward Austin Daye

6. Milwaukee Bucks

Players Added

Via draft:
Guard Rashad Vaughn (No. 17)

Via free agency:
Forward/Center Greg Monroe (from Pistons)
Forward Chris Copeland (from Pacers)

Via trade:
Guard Greivis Vasquez (from Raptors)

Players Lost

Via trade:
Forward Jared Dudley (to Wizards)
Forward Ersan Ilyasova (to Detroit)
Center Zaza Pachulia (to Mavs)

7. Washington Wizards


Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Kelly Oubre (No. 15)
Forward Aaron White (No. 49)

Via free agency:
Guard/Forward Alan Anderson (from Nets)
Guard Gary Neal (from Wolves)

Via trade:
Forward Jared Dudley (from Bucks)

Players Lost

Via free agency: 
Forward Paul Pierce (to Clippers)
Forward Rasual Butler
Forward/Center Kevin Seraphin (to Knicks)
Guard Will Bynum

8. Indiana Pacers


Players Added

Via draft:
Center Myles Turner (No. 11)
Forward Rakeem Christmas (No. 36; acquired from Cavs in trade on July 23)
Guard Joseph Young (No. 43)

Via free agency:
Guard Monta Ellis (from Mavs)
Forward/Center Jordan Hill (from Lakers)

Via trade:
Chase Budinger (from Wolves)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Guard C.J. Watson (to Magic)
Forward/Center Luis Scola (to Raptors)
Forward David West (to Spurs)
Forward Chris Copeland (to Bucks)

Via trade:
Center Roy Hibbert (to Lakers)
Forward Damjan Rudez (to Wolves)

9. Boston Celtics


Players Added

Via draft:
Guard Terry Rozier (No. 16)
Guard R.J. Hunter (No. 28)
Forward Jordan Mickey (No. 33)
Guard Marcus Thornton (No. 45) (plans to play in Australia this season)

Via free agency:
Forward Amir Johnson (from Raptors)

Via trade:
Forward Perry Jones (from Thunder)
Forward David Lee (from Warriors)
Guard Zoran Dragic (from Heat)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Forward Luigi Datome (to Fenerbahce Ulker, Turkey)
Forward Brandon Bass (to Lakers)

Via trade:
Forward Gerald Wallace (to Warriors)

Waived:
Guard Phil Pressey (signed with Trail Blazers)

10. Detroit Pistons


Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Stanley Johnson (No. 8)
Guard Darrun Hilliard (No. 38)

Via free agency:
Forward Aron Baynes (from Spurs)

Via trade:
Guard/Forward Reggie Bullock (from Suns)
Guard Steve Blake (from Nets (from Blazers))
Forward Danny Granger (from Suns)
Forward Ersan Ilyasova (from Bucks)
Forward Marcus Morris (from Suns)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Forward/Center Greg Monroe (to Bucks)
Forward Tayshaun Prince
Guard John Lucas III

Via trade:
Guard/Forward Caron Butler (to Bucks, who waived him; Butler signed with Kings)
Forward Shawne Williams (to Bucks, who waived him)
Forward Quincy Miller (to Nets)

11. Charlotte Hornets


Players Added

Via draft: 
Forward Frank Kaminsky (No. 9)

Via free agency:
Guard/Forward Aaron Harrison (undrafted free agent)
Guard Jeremy Lin (from Lakers)
Forward Tyler Hansbrough (from Raptors)

Via trade: 
Forward Matt Barnes (from Clippers)
Forward Nicolas Batum (from Blazers)
Forward/Center Spencer Hawes (from Clippers)
Guard Jeremy Lamb (from Thunder)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Guard Mo Williams (to Cavaliers)
Forward Jeffrey Taylor (to Real Madrid, Spain)

Via trade:
Forward Matt Barnes (to Grizzlies)
Guard/Forward Gerald Henderson (to Blazers)
Guard/Forward Lance Stephenson (to Clippers)
Forward Noah Vonleh (to Blazers)

12. Brooklyn Nets


Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (No. 23)
Forward/Center Chris McCullough (No. 29)
Forward Juan Pablo Vaulet (No. 39)

Via free agency:
Center Andrea Bargnani (from Knicks)
Guard Wayne Ellington (from Lakers)
Guard Shane Larkin (from Knicks)
Forward Thomas Robinson (from 76ers)

Via trade:
Forward Quincy Miller (from Pistons)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Guard/Forward Alan Anderson (to Wizards)
Forward Mirza Teletovic (to Suns)

Via trade:
Center Mason Plumlee (to Blazers)

Waived:
Guard Darius Morris
Forward Cory Jefferson
Guard Deron Williams (signed with Mavs)

13. New York Knicks


Players Added

Via draft:
Forward/Center Kristaps Porzingis (No. 4)
Guard Jerian Grant (No. 19)
Center Guillermo Hernangomez (No. 35)

Via free agency:
Guard Arron Afflalo (from Blazers)
Center Robin Lopez (from Blazers)
Forward Derrick Williams (from Kings)
Center Kevin Seraphin (from Wizards) 

Via trade:
Forward Kyle O'Quinn (from Magic)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Center Cole Aldrich (to Clippers)
Guard Shane Larkin (to Nets)
Forward/Center Jason Smith (to Magic)
Center Andrea Bargnani (to Nets)
Forward Quincy Acy (to Kings)
Guard Alexey Shved (BC Khimki, Russia)
Center Samuel Dalembert (to Mavs)

Via trade:
Guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (to Hawks)

14. Orlando Magic

Players Added

Via draft:
Forward Mario Hezonja (No. 5)
Guard Tyler Harvey (No. 51)

Via free agency:
Forward/Center Jason Smith (from Knicks)
Guard C.J. Watson (from Pacers)

Via trade:
Guard Shabazz Napier (from Heat)

Players Lost

Via trade:
Forward Maurice Harkless (to Blazers)
Forward Kyle O'Quinn (to Knicks)

Waived:
Guard Ben Gordon


15. Philadelphia 76ers


Players Added

Via draft:
Center Jahlil Okafor (No. 3)
Forward Richaun Holmes (No. 37)
Forward J.P. Tokoto (No. 58)

Via trade:
Forward Carl Landry (from Kings)
Guard Nik Stauskas (from Kings)
Forward/Center Jason Thompson (from Kings)

Players Lost

Via free agency:
Forward Thomas Robinson(to Nets)
Forward Luc Mbah a Moute (to Kings)



*As of 8/4/15, Tristan Thompson (restricted) and J.R. Smith remain free agents. Thompson is widely expected to re-sign with the Cavs and Smith—who (foolishly) declined his $6.4 million player option—is likely to return to the Cavs as well, provided he takes a pay cut. 
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Sunday, May 10, 2015

Simple Truth: Pierce Most Clutch Player of Era

            The Washington Wizards were on the verge of an epic playoff collapse. The sold-out crowd at Verizon Center had gone silent after Atlanta Hawks backup center Mike Muscala hit a game-tying 3-pointer with 14.1 seconds to go. Muscala’s 3-pointer capped off a 25-5 Hawks run over seven minutes of play that included a stretch of 17 unanswered points. After watching his team squander a 21-point fourth quarter lead, Washington head coach Randy Wittman knew there was only one player that could save his team from an embarrassing meltdown. Naturally, Wittman drew up a play for Paul Pierce, who made a Hall of Fame career with the Boston Celtics hitting daggers and game-winners.
            On a pass from Bradley Beal, Pierce had the ball at the top of the key with point guard Dennis Schroder guarding him on a switch. With the smaller Schroder defending him, Pierce knew it was time to work his magic.
            Get out of the way.
            Those were the words Pierce shouted at Beal before the 37-year-old former NBA Finals MVP banked in a 21-foot fallaway jumper off the backboard as the buzzer sounded to give Washington a 103-101 victory. Pierce helped the Wizards—playing without their floor general and superstar point guard John Wall—avoid disaster to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the top-seeded Hawks.
            ESPN’s Chris Broussard got a hold of Pierce and asked the veteran, known as The Truth, whether he called “Bank!” on the game-winning shot.
            “I called game,” Pierce proclaimed before walking off the court.

            Washington fans have fallen in love with The Truth, who is still making big baskets in his 17th year in the league. Pierce has now come up clutch in bigtime fashion in three of the Wizards’ six wins this postseason. In Game 1 of the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, Pierce bailed his team out—who choked a big lead in that game too—by hitting a back-breaking 3-pointer in overtime before sealing the victory with a pair of free throws. He finished with a game-high 20 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
            Game 3 of the Wizards-Raptors series saw Pierce score eight points in the final two minutes, including two gut-wrenching 3-pointers that helped the Wizards win their third straight playoff game in an eventual sweep over Toronto.
            Pierce’s dagger on Saturday was even more clutch. Not only was it a buzzer-beater, it was also a shot that saved the game for a team that had collapsed in the final frame. Had the Wizards lost Game 3 they likely would have lost the series. Blowing a huge lead in a postseason game and still managing to win the series is extremely hard. Devoid of its best player in Wall—sitting out due to a wrist injury suffered in the opening game of the series—it’s difficult to imagine Washington recovering from a loss like this. But Pierce refused to let Atlanta grab the series lead, potentially saving the Wizards’ season.
            Saturday’s buzzer put Pierce in rare company among players in the past decade:
            (For those who forget, Pierce's other buzzer-beater came in Game 3 of the 2010 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat)

            Another amazing stat:
            Pierce’s ability to thrive in the clutch this late in his career is truly incredible. As the best player on the Celtics for a decade and a half, Pierce was always the go-to-guy with the game on the line. But even as a glorified role player with the Brooklyn Nets and Wizards, he still is the most lethal man on the court with a chance to win the game.
            It’s fair to say that LeBron James is the best player of this era, Kobe Bryant is the best scorer of the era and Tim Duncan is the best power forward of the era (and of all-time). As for Pierce? He holds the distinction of the most clutch player of his era. Saturday's improbable buzzer-beater further solidified Pierce as the league’s deadliest player in the closing seconds of a game.
Paul Pierce raises arms in celebration as Bradley Beal and Will Bynum run over to congratulate the game's hero.
(Geoffe Burke/USA Today Sports)
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