Al Horford’s Decision Helps Hawks Move Forward

Al Horford agreed to sign with the Boston Celtics (4 years/$113 million), instead of returning to the place where it all started for him. Despite him being an unrestricted free agent, most Hawks fans were caught by surprise when he made his decision; especially after it seemed as if Atlanta finally gained enough ground to convince Horford to return. His decision to leave completely alters the path of the team’s future, but helps the franchise get one step closer to a championship.

Paul Millsap’s Future in Atlanta

During the time period between the Dwight Howard signing and Horford’s decision, the Hawks front office were negotiating a deal with the Suns that involved sending Paul Millsap to Phoenix for draft picks. There was no official word that a deal had been reached. However, it is more than likely that both teams agreed to a trade, also agreeing that it would only occur if Horford returned to the Hawks. But why trade him in the first place?

The trade negotiations happened for two reasons:

• The front office favors the Horford-Howard combo over the Millsap-Howard combo.
• Millsap is probable to opt out of his contract and become a UFA next summer.

It is possible that the trade negotiations show that the men in the front office are not confident that Millsap will re-sign with the Hawks next offseason. Just the fact that Millsap was being discussed for trade openly hurts the chances of him returning. If he does indeed leave, the Hawks would loose their primary scoring option and defensive anchor but would have other options In 2017, the best PF potential free agents available are:

• Blake Griffin
• Paul Millsap
• Serge Ibaka
• Nikola Mirotic
• Zach Randolph

The Hawks signing Blake Griffin or Serge Ibaka after a possible Millsap departure is unlikely as of now; but, if Dwight Howard returns to his All-Star form, he can attract any free agent he wants.

Also, keep in mind that Millsap could of course re-sign with the team. Who knows how effective the Millsap-Howard frontcourt duo could be, especially with Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore available to create?

Horford’s decision jeopardizes Millsap’s future in Atlanta, but could end up being helpful in the long run.

Anchorman to Superman

The Millsap scenario in the section above would only be an area of concern after next season. Looking at the immediate impacts of the Horford decision, Hawks fans are exited for the new duo of Millsap and Howard.

For the last few seasons, Millsap and Horford seemed to gel perfectly. Believe it or not, it is 100% logical to expect the new combo to be better than the old one. Why? Because opposites attract. Millsap and Horford have similar games. They are both crafty and deceptive, but at the same time physical and aggressive. Not to mention that they are two of the best three-point shooting big-men in the NBA. However, playing at the same time on either side of the block hindered the capability and potential to create for both players. This is mainly because both Millsap and Horford, who have similar skill-sets, had the same set of plays called for them.

With the new Hawks, Millsap and Howard have two different and unique skill-sets that compliment each other. Millsap will most likely look to score through pick-and-pops and the high post, while Howard would be assigned to crash the glass for offensive rebounds and set up in the low post. They will share the pick-and-roll offense. Millsap and Howard could either alternate being the roll-man, or Coach Bud can assign the duties to whoever is feeling it on offense.

Defensively, Howard finally shuts up all the analysts who insisted that the Hawks needed a rim protector, and takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of Millsap. Howard puts up almost five more rebounds a game than Horford does, which helps the team get out and running.

Together, Millsap and Howard’s potential together is unlimited. They can be the best frontcourt duo in the league.

Everyone Else

• Al Horford was responsible for about 1/10 of the three-pointers that the Hawks made last season. Initially, that makes Hawks fans cringe as they will miss his nice stroke. However, his departure opens up opportunities for developing players to help make up for the team’s loss of shooting. Schroder needs to get more shots up to develop into a better shooter, and Bazemore deserves an opportunity to show the world his more-than-capable shooting ability.
• Mike Muscala can finally expect to see more minutes, as he continues to develop into an eventual starter down the road. Expect him to get around 12-18 mpg this season.
• The Howard signing has seen season ticket holder rates spike up. Expect there to be a lot more fans as a whole at Phillips this year.

Al Horford was one of the greatest Hawks players of all time. His reign is over and a new era is upon us. The new dynamic duo of Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard, along with developing stars Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore all propel the Hawks in the direction of a championship. The first step is proving this team’s capability. If those four core players can do that, superstar free agents will come pouring in and Atlanta, in time, will hoist the city’s first NBA championship banner.