ATLANTA HAWKS UNDER 42 WINS
I don’t play many futures for a variety of reasons. But when I see a situation where there are intangibles that I feel could produce either a positive or negative impact, I’m willing to tie up some dollars long term in hopes of realizing a profit. This mindset will generally produce Under plays, as bad news seems easier for me to spot in terms of speculating on a particular team’s prospects.
I don’t see things going well for the Hawks this season. They’re okay from a personnel standpoint, at least from a strictly Eastern Conference perspective. Atlanta plays in a Southeast Division that can generously be described as wide open. On paper, they’re probably good enough to win half their games, so from that vantage point, the O/U is about where it’s supposed to be.
But there are all kinds of off the court issues already in place with this franchise. I’ve always believed in the domino principle, and when things are a mess at the top, there will be an impact throughout the organization. That’s the crux of my observations on the Hawks.
There’s uncertainty as to who’s going to own this franchise, thanks to Bruce Levenson sending out a racist email that he knew wasn’t going to go undiscovered. Danny Ferry is still the General Manager, but he’s taking a leave of absence follow his own inane comments regarding Luol Deng.
The Ferry situation is ridiculous. I don’t see any possibility he’s going to be retained by whatever individual or group assumes ownership of this outfit. So the “leave of absence” is highly unlikely to be anything other than permanent in the long run.
I realize there might be some who will disagree with me, but I don’t see how this mess at the top doesn’t filter through the entire organization, and that certainly includes the coaching staff and players. Once everything gets cleared up, maybe it creates a huge positive vibe that shows up on the court. But the current in limbo status is very likely to create a negative ripple effect.
The Hawks are not a franchise blessed with a great fan base. That’s not exactly a revelation, as it’s been that way for years with the team never really contending for anything. The ongoing off the court fiascos are doing nothing to endear this team to the locals and I can’t see how this team can enjoy a major home court edge with the way things are. Add in a middle of the pack roster and it’s a thoroughly bleak looking situation.
I don’t see Atlanta winning half its games, all things considered. More likely, they finish somewhere in the mid-30’s as far as total wins are concerned. That’s well under the posted O/U, so Under 42 is the play.
--
More free content, including daily free picks, now on my homepage