Did the Atlanta Hawks Win NBA Free Agency? | Off Guard With Austin Rivers| Ringer NBA

Did the Atlanta Hawks Win NBA Free Agency? | Off Guard With Austin Rivers| Ringer NBA

The Hawks are building a premium of defense. I think they’ve seen what OKC did, just how they suffocated people, and they’re adding all these guys that could defend. You know, you add a Porzingis who’s a matchup nightmare in terms of being able to switch and slide his feet. Uh, you add, you already have Tyson Juh Daniels who’s an all league defender. You’re getting Jaylen Johnson back from injury who’s a good defender. You’re now adding Nquille Alexander who’s a good defender. You’re adding all this defense around Trey.
He liked Zachary Reese Shade last year.
Yeah. And Zachary showed a lot of flashes. Again, he didn’t have the
big rookie year as a number one pick does. Um, but he showed plenty of flashes where people like, “This guy’s talented as fuck.” And maybe what we lacked for his rookie year, who gives a we weren’t winning anything anyway. By year three or four, we might have something really special here. I like his game. So, the Hawks are a very young, talented team with a veteran point guard now who’s still Trey Young. They’re a team that next year is going to be a thorn in people’s side, especially with the East being so dead and so wide open. You got to now start looking at Atlanta and Orlando, these new two teams who have entered the chat. Boston will be still good, but they’re not going to be as good obviously without Tatum. Um, you know, Indiana’s going to be good, but they’re not going to be as good obviously without Hallebertton. So, these aren’t teams that we’re putting in the championship conversation. They’ll just be playoff teams. So now you wonder who’s this who’s the team that’s going to take these step. Well New York it’s wide open. New York if you’ve had any time it’s right now. This season is it.
And so far all done is add Jordan Clarkson. Do you are you do you think make a bigger splash or do you think just stay you already have a good team?
You had a very good team. The only issue you had last year was what? You had no bench scoring. Oh well now you went and got one of the best bench scorers in the league. They don’t need too much guys. I I would like another point guard. I would like a point guard. All right. They they they didn’t they didn’t play Cam uh Payne a lot. So, if you’re not gonna play him, then let’s go get someone you will play because Jaylen Brunson’s mileage is something that we have to clock and start watching if it’s not clocking to you. I’m just kidding. But no, seriously, we have they have to find something that they can rely on. How the Magic went and got Tai Jones for one year seven.
Yeah, the Knicks could use
Nick. You couldn’t you couldn’t sign if like one year five, one year seven, you probably would have took $2 million less to be on your team be living in New York. You know, Tai Jones and Des were teammates in in Memphis, too. So, I like that little
That’s true. No, no, no. For sure.
Uh, but I I I I feel like they could use another handler. You know, they have a lot of wings, you know, between Muel and Josh and OG and all these guys, right? Even Carl’s a big who is capable, but like terms of ball, even Deuce McBride, who’s very undersized. He’s a shooting guard. That’s why I said he’s undersized. He’s not a point guard. He’s a shooting guard. So, like they don’t have another point guard other than Brunson and Campaign who they don’t play enough. Maybe the new coach will come in and be like, “Yo, Cam, I’m actually going to use you 15 minutes a game. I don’t Tibs, then you will play here.” I think Campaign’s fully capable of being a backup point guard. Um, he’s done it before on a championship team with the Suns. I think all he needs is an opportunity, but depending on what, you know, you have to might go get someone else. Other than that, they’re pretty damn good at locked. All right. You know, the Knicks don’t need much, especially with the decline of the two top teams in in the East with their stars being out for next year at least. Let’s just run the same motion back.
You know, the Cavs lost Hydro, they ended up trading for Lonzo Ball. So, I thought that was
not to mention Not to mention a new coach would be a new shot of life. Let’s not forget the Cavs didn’t make a major blockbuster trade. They just got a new coach. That was a new fresh breath of air. They went and got uh you know, Bicker Staff went to went to to Detroit where he’s done his thing and they went and got Kenny Atinson. that that created a whole new offense, new life, a whole new thing.
Evan Moy getting taking that step, too.
For sure. For sure. But I’m saying Knicks are going to have guys who are going to continue to excel and do well. They got a great team. I think their team was just over like Mikos partying. They have a they have like a great camaraderie. You add now um a Jordan Clarkson where you had the most glaring issue of all last year’s like bench scoring. This is what he does. And then you’re going to have a new coach that’s going to come in there and it’s going to it’s going to be exciting. They’re good. The Cavs are good. those two teams are are next. It’s it’s their time. And now teams like Orlando and Atlanta who have always been like this fifth six seed like kind of crawling on. Now you look around like pressure’s on. But you got to give Orlando and Atlanta credit because they saw Open East and they both made moves. Atlanta adding the kill Alexander Walker Porzingis and Luke Canard. I mean that to go along with like you said Jaylen Johnson Jaylen Johnson coming back from injury. I think they’re going to be up there. I think they’re going to be a top four seed. It’ll probably be between them and Detroit. Who do you like better probably for next year? Detroit was like everyone’s like fun
Detroit. Detroit was Detroit was really good.
Um got a feel for Beasley and I only say that because we don’t know the facts yet.
Um and sometimes it can be something as silly as like a silly bet or you know he said he was doing prop bets. I don’t know if it was throughout the season and what happens is when they start looking into it, they start going through his plays. He had that play last year. He went like coast to coast and made the layup like last games. It’s like stuff like that. People like yo what’s going on here? anxietywise, it’s got to be tough to get offered $40 million, which is his biggest contract he’s ever gotten. Um, and have that be on the pause until the NBA is doing this investigation, that’s got to be worrisome. You know what I mean? If you’re a guy like like Beasley who was already hanging on in the NBA, then has a great year and gets his largest contract at the end of his year career. You know, he’s probably got five years left playing, maybe four years left being generous. He just got a $40 million contract, man. and now they’re like ah, you know, they’re investigating him. That’s tough. Um, so hopefully the best works out and it’s it’s proven that he wasn’t doing that and he’s able to get paid.
Yeah. Terri just got cleared
ex cuz he’s in Paris like around right now. That’s I was like this guy this guy’s been quiet for like the past 3 months. He’s in Paris like dressed dripped out. I was like what’s going on here Terry? He just got cleared. So sometimes there there has to be some due diligence there. Um,
in this case, you want it to be sooner than later, though, because eventually the Cavs are going to have to make a move here. I’m sorry, the Pistons. They just went and got Terce Lever.
Luckily for Beasley, he is not a three-point shooter. So, the need for what you do is still there. The only problem is there is another player on your team that does exactly that, and they might just be like, you know what, let’s roll with this team right here, and we’ll pay Tim Hardley Jr. next year. We’ll give him that $40 million. We’re going to give it the end of your prime. We’re going to give it the end of Tim’s because y’all are around the same age. We’ll give Tim a threeyear, four year, $40 million deal and we’re good to go. That’s what could possibly happen here. So, tough situation to be in. I do have Detroit in the mix. They’re very good. Um, totally forgot about them to be completely honest when I started saying Atlanta and the Magic the Detroit’s right there in that damn mix, too. So I think you have Cleveland, New York out in front and I think that middle group will be comprised of Atlanta, Orlando, Detroit with the tail end of Boston still being in the mix. They’re just that good. I they’re they are they won’t be the same threat. I don’t think they beat any of those other teams in a playoff series now without Tatum. Let’s just not forget that Boston last year without Tatum came here was handling the Magic pretty well without Suggs and Mo and Baines and Ty Jones. So Magic are a different team here now. I only put Boston in there just because they’re well coached and they still have Jaylen Brown. You still have Derrick White. You still have you’re have Anthony Simon. You still have Al Horford. You still have Payton Pritchard. Still have all these guys. Let’s just be mindful and respectful that this team is still a championship team. They’re very good. They don’t have Tatum, so no, they’re not going to win a championship next year. Do I think they could beat these other teams in a playoff series? No. But they will be in the mix and be in the playoffs. But um that’s pretty much the East right there.

Austin and Pausha discuss the outlook for the Hawks in the upcoming season before jumping into an early preview of the Eastern Conference as a whole.

Host: Austin Rivers and Pausha Haghighi
Video Producer: Victoria Valencia
Audio Producer: Kyle Williams
Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz
Social: Keith Fujimoto

Check out the Bill Simmons YouTube channel: youtube.com/billsimmons

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