NBA Podcast: 2013-14 Atlanta Hawks Season Preview

Among the busiest offseason teams for yet another year, the Atlanta Hawks finally hope to fly out of limbo and into a brighter future.

Long a team that had stars but struggled for an identity, this Hawks crew feels grittier than normal, replacing Josh Smith with Paul Millsap. They also drafted distributing phenom point guard Dennis Schroeder and signed DeMarre Carroll, Elton Brand, Gustavo Ayon and Pero Antic.

With Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver all coming back, along with Lou Williams' return to health, Atlanta has a flexible roster for new coach Mike Budenholzer to mold while staying in the playoff picture.

Yet, rookie big man Lucas Nogueira was already shipped back overseas, and the Hawks will be undersized at nearly every position. They also have a conspicuous lack of star power in a conference that is surprisingly crowded around Atlanta's typical "middle-of-the-pack" perch.

Hawks Featured Columnist Adam Fromal joins NBA assistant editor Joel C. Cordes for the latest episode of Basketball by Association.

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We look at the best and worst of the Hawks offseason, along with the biggest questions heading into 2014. We'll also detail Atlanta's keys to a successful year while predicting its final standing.

Want more team-by-team NBA season previews? Find the latest here. Basketball by Association cast members and pro-hoops analysis can be found at Bleacher Report's Court Vision blog.