Major Additions: Marco Belinelli (acquired from Charlotte), John Collins (drafted), Dewayne Dedmon (free agent), Miles Plumlee (acquired from Charlotte)
Major Subtractions: Tim Hardaway Jr. (signed with New York), Dwight Howard (traded to Charlotte), Paul Millsap (signed with Denver)
Major Problems: Hey, remember when the Atlanta Hawks sent four guys to the All-Star Game? And remember when they finished the season with the best record in the Eastern Conference? And remember when some viewed them as the San Antonio Spurs of the East? Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?
It wasn't. We're talking two years. Time files when you're having a disappointing year. Or two.
Since finishing the 2014-15 season with a record of 60-22, the Hawks have been a picture of backsliding, racking up 51 wins in 2015-16 before registering 43 last season.
It appears that management decided their roster, as constructed, had peaked, so they allowed Millsap to walk via free agency, and they shipped Howard to the Hornets in exchange for pieces.
One of those pieces was Miles Plumlee, who appears to be Howard's heir apparent in the starting lineup.
Now Howard's talent has never been questioned, but his locker room presence most definitely has, so it's possible the Hawks braintrust viewed the move as necessary. It certainly wasn't a basketball decision, as quantified by Howard's per-36-minute numbers, as compared to Plumlee's. And pay extra special attention to the disparity in Offensive Win Shares (OWS) and Defensive Win Shares (DWS). (Just for fun, we'll throw likely backup Dedmon into the mix.)
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Blocks | FG% | FT% | PER | OWS | DWS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dwight Howard | 16.4 | 15.4 | 1.5 | 63.3% | 53.3% | 20.8 | 3.8 | 4.5 |
| Miles Plumlee | 8.4 | 7.1 | 1 | 47.8% | 64.1% | 8.4 | -.1 | 0.5 |
| Dewayne Dedmon | 10.5 | 9.9 | 1.7 | 62.2% | 69.9% | 16 | 2.3 | 3 |
Yeah, yeah, we know Howard's a pain, but seriously? The Atlanta downgrade at the center position was positively drastic. And the one stat where you think any center would be a major upgrade over Howard -- that being free throw percentage -- well, isn't. (Re: Dedmon, one could assume the fact Atlanta only gave him a one-year guarantee reflects their feelings about his ability to take on a starting role.)
The one saving grace is that Plumlee is significantly younger than Howard...oh, wait, he isn't. Dude's 28. Howard's 31.
On the plus side, rookie John Collins delivered a surprisingly good performance in the Summer League, so he might slightly soften the blow of losing 4-time All-Star Millsap.
Slightly.
Takeaway: Unless Dennis Schroder becomes Chris Paul (doubtful) and Kent Bazemore becomes James Harden (even more doubtful), the backsliding shall continue.