The Hawks face the prospect of a tough rebuilding season in 2017-18 and the NBA has determined that not many people outside of the area want to see them.
The schedule released by the league on Monday features zero Hawks games on national television broadcasts. The Jan. 15 home game against the Spurs and a March 22 game at Sacramento are scheduled to be shown on NBA TV, which uses local television feeds.
The lack of national television games for the Hawks is another indication of the low expectations surrounding the team. They finished 43-39 last season before losing in to Washington in the first round of the playoffs but jettisoned their two best veterans, Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard, and will feature a roster dominated by young players and lesser vets.
New Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk is in charge of basketball operations after coach Mike Budenholzer relinquished that role. Schlenk told NBA.com last month that his focus is on developing the team's young players and avoiding onerous contracts while creating a nucleus.
“We want to continue the success we’ve had, but realize we might have to take a step back,” Schlenk said. “We just don’t want to dip down 2-3 years in a row. We realize that young players in this league take their lumps but we don’t want to send the message that we’re (fine) with losing.”
The new-look Hawks will contend with a schedule heavy on road games at the start.
The Hawks will begin the season with a five-game trip and they’ll play a total of 10 of their first 14 games away from Philips Arena. The Hawks open the season on Oct. 18 at the Mavericks and play their home opener on Oct. 27 against the Nuggets.
Hawks home games scheduled for Monday through Saturday will begin at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of a 3 p.m. tip against the Spurs on Monday, Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Marquee home games include the defending champion Warriors (March 2) and two against Eastern Conference champion Cleveland (Nov. 30 and Feb. 9).
The NBA season starts sooner this season as the league sought to reduce the number of back-to-back games (the Hawks are scheduled to play 15 sets). The NBA said it will be the first season in the league’s history that no team will play four games in five days.
External expectations are that the Hawks will be among the worst teams in the NBA.
ESPN's statistical system projects the Hawks to win an NBA-low 27 games. CBS SportsLine's computer model predicts the Hawks will win 28 games. And the over/under for Hawks win total at most sportsbooks is 34.5.
But the shabby state of the Eastern Conference means the Hawks could have a lot of competition in the race to the bottom of the standings (and the best odds at winning the draft lottery). The Nets, Bulls, Pacers, Knicks and Magic are also expected to struggle.
The Hawks had four All-Star players on the roster in 2014-15, when they won 60 games and reached the East finals for the first time in Atlanta. The Hawks currently have no All-Star players on the roster.
In June the Hawks traded Howard—still a good rebounder and shot blocker—after just season with the team. Millsap, a four-time All-Star, said the Hawks didn't offer him a contract before he signed a three-year, $90 million free-agent deal with the Nuggets last month. And guard Tim Hardaway Jr., one of the best Hawks' offensive players last season, signed with the Knicks for $71 million over four years.
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