2022-2023 NBA Team Previews: Atlanta Hawks Fantasy Breakdown

The Atlanta Hawks surprised the entire league this offseason, as they made a huge splash, trading for the San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray. Acquiring an All-Star is sure to change the way a team plays. It doesn’t just affect each player’s chemistry, but each player’s usage rates, as well. Let’s discuss what we should expect from the Atlanta Hawks this season.

Atlanta Hawks Fantasy Preview

Depth Chart

Point Guard and Shooting Guard:

I grouped these positions together, as both Murray and Young are going to play the combo-guard role. I’m willing to go on record as the single biggest hater of the trade that brought Murray to Atlanta. I understand what he brings defensively, and the need for an additional ball-handler for the Hawks, but Murray is a high usage player (27% last year) and so is Trae Young (34.4%). That’s going to be incredibly difficult to navigate and I’m not sure Murray or Trae is a good off-ball player. Trae Young’s ability to get into the lane and draw fouls OR get hot from three, is what makes him scary. If Young is just hanging out on the perimeter, because Murray has the ball, then teams will prefer him to shoot. His three point percentage actually isn’t elite (36% for his career), despite us watching him shoot from the logo on SportsCenter, every now and then. I think the Hawks got worse with this move on offense, and giving up Huerter was a critical blow for their depth. My honest take is that people drafting Young and Murray are going to see a stat regression from what we saw from them last year. It’s going to take some time for them to gel, if it’s even possible for these two skillsets to gel.

Small Forward:

Whether you’re playing in 9-Cat or points leagues, you’ve come to respect the three-and-D potential that De’Andre Hunter provides each and every game. Last year, Kevin Huerter was someone who could mimic this skill set, but now that he’s gone, we can expect 30+ minutes per game from Hunter. Hunter’s per 36 averages come out to: 15 PPG, 5 Rebs, 2 Asts, and 1.2 Stocks (Steals + Blocks). He shot 38% from three last year (better than Trae Young, FYI), and is almost 80% from the free throw line. You can depend on him to stuff your stat sheets this year, because the Hawks will need him to.

Power Forward:

John Collins battled through injuries all through last year. Even in 54 games, Collins averaged 16 PPG, 6 Rebs, 8 Asts, and 1.6 Stocks. Much like Hunter, he’s 38% from three, and 80% from the free throw line. It’s hard to get guard-like stats out of the power forward position, so expect John Collins to go fairly early in your drafts. He’s not without risk, however, as the rumors are that the front office loves Onyeka Okongwu’s skillset, and want him to take a leap this year. I think it’s more likely he eats into Collins’ minutes than Hunter’s, due to what Hunter can provide defensively against guards, so don’t be surprised if we see Collins’ minutes per game tick down from 31.

Center:

Clint Capela is about as consistent as they come. He averages a double-double for his career, and that’s exactly what I expect him to average this season. Last year, he gave us 11 PPG and 12 Rebs. I expect the PPG to tick up closer to his career high of 16.6 PPG in Houston because now he’ll have two capable distributors to spoon-feed him buckets in Murray and Young. Center is a very deep position this year, so I won’t be reaching for him, but if he falls to you, be happy about it. I think he’ll get all the minutes he can handle with Frank Kaminsky as the only other true center on the roster. Kaminsky is without a doubt a solid NBA player, I don’t mean that as a slight, but I don’t expect him to eat into Capela’s workload.

Key Bench Players:

Bogdanovic, Okongwu, Johnson, the Holiday brothers, Griffin, and Cooper.

Sleepers:

Bogdan Bogdanovic could absolutely find himself getting starter’s minutes if there’s an injury to any of the starting five. He averaged 29 minutes per game coming off the bench for Atlanta last year and averaged 15/4/3 with that minutes allotment. He has the capability to be a 50/40/90 guy, but he’s never put it all together in the same season, quite yet. If you manage to get Bogdan on your roster in the late rounds, he has the capability to win you matchups.

Busts:

Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. See “Point Guard” paragraph above. Will they put up solid numbers? Sure. Will they struggle to mesh, and have statistical regression? I think it’s likely. Both of these players will be drafted in the earlier rounds, which will lead to disappointment and underwhelming expectations.

For more great analysis check out all of our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Team Previews!