Atlanta Hawks 2012 Season Preview and Primer

As Joe Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks gear up for another run at the Eastern Conference title, their outlook on the 2012 NBA season is drastically different from a year ago.

After finally knocking the division-rival Orlando Magic out of the playoffs in 2011, Atlanta has their sights set on moving past the second round of the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Ahead is everything you need to know about the Atlanta Hawks before the season starts.

Expected Starting Lineup

The starting lineup looks identical to the 2010-11 squad Atlanta used, with one glaring difference.

After a stellar postseason performance, and as Kirk Hinrich recovers from shoulder surgery, point guard Jeff Teague will look to take the necessary steps in becoming a concrete member of the Hawks starting lineup.

The starting lineup on opening night against the New Jersey Nets December 27 in New Jersey should look like this.

PG Jeff Teague

SG Joe Johnson

SF Marvin Williams

PF Josh Smith

C Al Horford

Key Play from Bench

Offseason acquisitions of Tracy McGrady, Vladimir Radmanovic and Jerry Stackhouse are key upgrades to what was a one-man bench last year.

These three veterans will get minutes from what is a very young bench. If they can stay healthy, they will allow the Hawks to sit their starters for extended periods of time without worrying about their bench squandering leads.

Atlanta has not had the luxury of allowing their bench to play big minutes and will lean heavily on their new players' production.

McGrady, Vlad-Rad and Stackhouse won't put up big numbers, but they are veterans who have could help make for a potential championship run.

Which Player Is on the Rise?

The easy answer would be point guard Jeff Teague.

He will play more minutes this season and will attempt to garner the full-time starting position in just his third year, after what was a coming-out party of sorts in the 2011 NBA playoffs.

The more difficult answer is rookie center Keith Benson.

At 6'11" and 230 pounds, the player out of Oakland University will see time behind Jason Collins and Zaza Pachulia, but could work his way into significant minutes toward the latter part of the season.

Atlanta used their only pick in the NBA Draft on Benson, which makes sense as the rookie was one of the biggest players in the draft.

If he buys into Larry Drew's system, doesn't slack, and can develop upper body strength to play in the post, Benson could be a future star with the Atlanta franchise.

Which Player Is Under the Most Pressure?

Josh Smith undoubtably has the most pressure on him entering the 2012 season.

The seventh-year power forward made drastic changes during the offseason, most notably a 25-pound weight loss to increase his foot speed and explosion at the rim.

If J-Smoove can control his shooting habits—relying on posting up and short jumpers instead of three-point bricks—he should overcome the immense pressure pressing down on him from an eager fan base. 

If not, he may just shoot his way out of Atlanta.

What Does Larry Drew Have to Do to Remain Head Coach in Atlanta?

With Larry Drew entering his second year as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, he must make changes to command his player's respect and respect of the fans.

Drew's team looked way too similar to former head coach Mike Woodson's team in the sense that he lost control of the team at times and fought player egos.

Drew publicly criticized Josh Smith's shot selection instead of talking to him in private about it. Joe Johnson sulked on the bench when he thought his teammates were not giving him equal looks. Both of these examples are areas where a veteran head coach would find a way to handle his players

A head coach must be a head coach.

Drew won't always be liked by his players, but he must be respected. Bringing in high-character veterans should help to instill that notion.

Who Is the Do-or-Die Player of the Year?

With the new amnesty rules, Joe Johnson could be playing his last season with the Atlanta Hawks if he has a season similar to 2011.

The Atlanta organization has the opportunity to use a rule agreed upon in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which basically allows them to waive any player under contract before the CBA was signed.

How the deal applies to Atlanta can be found at Hoopinion, but the basic details are below.

"

• Each team permitted to waive 1 player prior to any season of the CBA (only for contracts in place at the inception of the CBA) and have 100% of the player’s salary removed from team salary for Cap and Tax purposes.
• Salary of amnestied players included for purposes of calculating players’ agreed-upon share of BRI.
• A modified waiver process will be utilized for players waived pursuant to the Amnesty rule, under which teams with Room under the Cap can submit competing offers to assume some but not all of the player’s remaining contract. If a player’s contract is claimed in this manner, the remaining portion of the player’s salary will continue to be paid by the team that waived him.

"

Simply put, if the Hawks want to scrap Johnson's salary after 2012 or 2013, they can do so with his entire salary off the books in terms of cap flexibility and going over the luxury tax.

It might be a good option with many quality players, including Dwight Howard, hitting free agency in 2012. 

Which Player Will Make a Name for Himself?

Lost in all of the shuffle of the Hawks' offseason signings is the return of veteran bruiser Zaza Pachulia.

The perennial fan favorite will play big minutes for Atlanta off the bench, providing solid defense and the toughness to bang in the paint.

Pachulia is also guaranteed for about two attempted fights per year.

Where Will the Hawks Finish?

To assume this team made enough moves to jump any of the top tier teams in the Eastern Conference—Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks—is simply uneducated.

A second-round exit is the most likely scenario.

I can't imagine Atlanta beating the Bulls or Heat to advance into the Eastern Conference Finals, which they would most likely need to do as those two teams will probably be the top two seeds. 

The Bulls got better with Richard Hamilton coming off the bench.

The Heat are the Heat, with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade as the best duo in basketball.

The Celtics made improvements to their bench, but their inability to get a legitimate center may hurt them in a series against the Hawks.

New York signed Tyson Chandler, bringing yet another dominant center to the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks are a solid team, but progress is the key.

A more strict focus on finishing the regular season strong and entering the playoffs healthy as a cohesive unit are key to this team potentially upsetting any of the top-echelon of teams in the East.

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