No pushovers here for Raptors: Power Ranking the Southeast Division

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Oct 29, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots a three pointer against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto defeated Atlanta 109-102. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Hawks

Say Hello to: Tiago Splitter, Tim Hardaway Jr., Edy Tavares, Justin Holiday

Farewell: DeMarre Carroll, Pero Antic

’14-’15 record: 60-22

Last year’s breakout team returns all its noteable troops, with the exception of DeMarre Carroll. How much they will miss him can’t be determined at the moment, but I suspect they will be fine, which is why they top this ranking.

Coach Mike Budenholzer clearly drank deeply at the San Antonio Spurs fountain while he was there, and took the lessons of ball-movement and unselfish play to Atlanta. Kyle Korver might be the scariest player in the NBA from beyond the arc. He and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry are in their own class. Al Horford is perhaps the most underrated big man in the league. Paul Millsap scores inside and out, and pulls down rebounds at a prodigious rate.

The point guard, Jeff Teague, has pushed his way into the conversation as one of the Conference’s best. He’s a burner, like John Wall, and can shoot and distribute at a high level. Dennis Schroder, the backup, could start for a lot of teams.

Tiago Splitter, another ex-Spur, will prove an excellent addition. Whether another new guy, Tim Hardaway, can take Carroll’s spot, or whether it will be Kent Bazemore, is impossible to say. What I do conclude is that this team is greater than the sum of its parts, and should be on top of the Southwest Division once again when 82 games have been played.

Next: Atlantic Division mid-summer forecast

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