Atlanta United vs. Orlando City Preview

By 1788 Sports writer Caleb Leon (@1788Sports, @LeonCaleb)

The Gold Cup break is almost over, which means one thing. Atlanta United (9-3-7) will be back in action this Friday, July 21st.

We open the second half of the season, in a comfortable fourth place in the eastern conference, with an opponent that needs no introduction, but I am going to introduce them anyway.

Orlando City Soccer Club (8-5-7).

The Purple Lions (somehow) sit in fifth place in the east. Just one point below Atlanta in the standings, this is before back-to-back weeks of playing each other.

The first game of the series will be played in Orlando, and I can safely say that people are excited to travel into the heart of OCSC’s territory. The away supporters section has been sold out for a month, so expect to see lots of red and black come friday evening,

The reverse fixture will be played at historic Bobby Dodd Stadium at Georgia Tech. Bobby Dodd has served Atlanta United well as its temporary home, constantly being filled to the brim with over 45,000 fans all singing, chanting and screaming in unison.

Never Hunt Alone

Fans play an important role in the success of any sports team, Orlando is no different. Their new stadium sports “The Wall” a standing room only section that offers places to lean against, so that no one falls off of bleachers or out of chairs. I would expect a fairly packed stadium coming out of the Gold Cup break. So, look for the stadium to be pack and for it to be LOUD. Orlando is known around the league as one of the loudest places to play and they have some of the most hardcore fans in the league. Some fans are so jealous of what OCSC has, they resort to stealing parts of their new stadium. Though, New York City fans are known for stealing chairs….

(Link to story: https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/5xq8o7/zero_class_nycfc_supporter_arrested_for_stealing/)

Orlando Players to Watch:

Kaka: The man, the myth, the captain, the legend. Kaka is known as one of the best human being on the planet, it is really hard to hate him as a person.

As a player, Kaka is dangerous. He has 3 goals in 13 games with only 5 shots on goal. If Kaka gets hot this team could easily fix their goal differential problem and outscore many of their opponents.

Cyle Larin: Orlando’s leading goal scorer with 8 goals in 17 games, will be sorely missed as he has been called up to Canada's Gold Cup squad ahead of the knockout rounds.













Carlos Rivas:  Rivas is Orlando’s assist leader with 5 and an important part of their midfield. Look for him to try and expose Atlanta’s back line with through balls to the speedy attackers ahead of him.

The Talk:

MLS has been trying to force rivalries for a long time, but organic growth is the way to go. The trash talk on twitter has been nothing short of amazing. Atlanta fans have been going in hard with old favorites like “Mickey Mouse FC” and “Florida Ain’t the South”. My personal favorite came earlier today…

This was seen on I-4 in downtown Orlando earlier today.

Needless to say, people are excited.

Between the Sticks:

Well, it is time. Brad Guzan will be given the start this Friday for the first time with Atlanta United. The keeper is coming off of an interesting Gold Cup and a disappointing few seasons in England. The USMNT #2 is ready to go and will bring a new fire to Atlanta’s defense. He is a welcome addition and will help relieve the pressure because of Alec Kann’s quad injury.

The Verdict.:

I expect a highly contested match this week with Atlanta pulling out a late winner, finishing the game 3-2.

Goals from Martienz, Gressle, and Almiron will give United the three points.

Follow me on twitter @LeonCaleb and let me know how you think the game will go, in the comments below.

Hawks Recent Transactions

By 1788 Hawks writer Noah Lourie (@1788Sports - @Noah_lourie )

The Hawks made some moves this past week, bringing Dewayne Dedmon to the team and re-signing Mike Muscala and Ersan Ilyasova.

Dewayne Dedmon is a hard working and athletic 27 year old big man. He averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists last season with the Spurs. He signed with the Hawks on a 2 year, $14 million deal. His numbers don’t jump off the page, as he scored just 5.1 points per game last season, but as a former member of the Spurs system, Dedmon will fit in great with coach Bud’s team. He will also play over John Collins for at least the first part of the season, giving him more time to develop.

The Hawks also re-signed Ersan Ilyasova to a bargain 1 year $6 million deal. The Hawks needed to get a power forward and, as their only other big men were Mike Muscala and Miles Plumlee, they needed one that could make an impact on both sides of the floor. Ilyasova is a very underrated player, one that has a great shot and can grab plenty of rebounds with his long arms. Ilyasova will probably join either Mike Muscala or Dewayne Dedmon in the starting lineup.

These signings were very helpful to a team that had absolutely no depth at the big man positions after the departures of Dwight Howard and Paul Millsap. Now the center position has the incredibly overplayed Miles Plumlee, Mike Muscala and Dewayne Dedmon. At the PF position the Hawks have Ersan Ilyasova and John Collins. At 28 years old, Miles Plumlee is the oldest of the group, the youngest being 19 year old Collins. Most of these guys will be playing more minutes than they have for most of their careers, so the players like Mike Muscala and Dewayne Dedmon will get a chance to showcase what they can do with a bigger role.

Atlanta Hawks Summer League Grades

1788 Sports Writer Bryce Sparling (@1788Sports, @BryceS89)

JOHN COLLINS: A+

Collins couldn't have raised his stock any more than he did in the summer league. Collins averaged a double-double with 17.5 ppg and 10.2 rpg. Extrapolate that for a per 32 average and it's 22 ppg and 13 rpg. Along with Collins' dunking, shooting and rebounding, he has impressed with amazing court vision, great defensive and offensive awareness and positioning, as well as running the floor very well. The way he plays the game reminds me of a Paul Millsap, Tim Duncan cross-over. Collins is not without flaw though. His 6'10 235lb frame will get tossed around in the post and his defensive IQ could use some work. If he hits the weight room between now and the Hawks 1st game and cuts down on silly fouls, the Hawks could find themselves rostering a potential ROY candidate.

DEANDRE' BEMBRY: A

Bembry, who will be part of a very young backcourt threesome, showed he'd grown by leaps and bounds over the off-season. Last season with the Hawks, Bembry never could quite get it together. Never becoming much more than a trash time forward. This summer, he has showed he's ready for serious minutes when the regular season tips. DeAndre' is second on the team in points and rebounds, and first in assists. He seems to be much quicker off the dribble and passing quite a bit crisper. His jumpshot is still a work in progress, but that won't be his main weapon when on offense. Bembry's biggest drawback in the summer league is his decision making. He seemed to make a lot of the rushed mistakes we've become accustom to seeing Dennis make the past 2 seasons

TAUREAN PRINCE: B-

Taurean came into this summer league with a much different mindset. This is a man that will most likely start come fall. He stated his main focus this summer was to work on areas of his game he saw there were glaring weaknesses. While Prince only put up 13 ppg, 2.5 rpg & 1.5 apg, there should be no cause for concern. This is the same kid we saw being the only active Hawk against the Wizards in the first round last year. While the production wasn't there this summer, the activity was. He was very active on offense, moving, cutting & screening, as well as being the pesky, junkyard dog 2.0 we all think he'll be in the 2017-2018 season.

DIAMOND STONE: C+

Stone, who came to Atlanta via a 3-team trade, was a bit of an afterthought in the trade. Stone has only played 24 minutes in the NBA and has never been known for being in the best of shape. He came into the summer league hoping to capitalize on the NBA's expanding roster size. Stone, through 3 games, averaged 8 ppg and nearly 4 rpg. Stone was also a force to be reckoned with in the paint with his 7'4 wingspan and a 255lb frame. He could find himself on the roster as a reserve or a late game defensive banger.

ALPHA KABA: C

Kaba was the last player drafted in the 2017, which if you ask Isaiah Thomas, means nothing. Kaba has already been touted as the "Savior of Atlanta" by Reddit user u/blessedmitch. https://goo.gl/Wra8hW. While playing limited minutes, 10 mpg, he managed to average 4 ppg and 4 rpg. This is not someone who we'll be looking to lean on in game 7's anytime soon, but he is a prospect that has the measurable that could develop in the G-league. Kaba will have a chance to showcase his talents with the Bay Hawks this year most likely,  and prove he deserves to play in Atlanta.

JOSH MAGETTE: C-

After being waived by the Hawks before the season started last season, Atlanta invited him back for a summer league stint. Josh averaged 20 mpg, 4 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 3.2 apg. Magette showed flashes at times of being something a bit more special than a G-league team, but ultimately couldn't put much together consistently. Magette, through 4 games, showed nothing special that would earn him a spot on the 17 man roster. He will be a serviceable G-league player, but that's about the ceiling for this young point guard.

RYAN KELLY: C-

What a weird summer it's been for Kelly. First he's traded to Hou for cash considerations, then Hou waives him, finally, the Hawks pick him up to play in their summer league. Bringing Kelly in was more of a favor towards him, to showcase his abilities to other teams, more than anything. The Hawks are ineligible to sign him due to CBA rules, https://goo.gl/Zao7tY. Kelly, the Hawks most senior summer league player, never showed much more than a stop gap player. He's someone that could sign a 10 day contract to alleviate an injury. Kelly did average 10.7 ppg and 4 rpg while playing almost 20 mpg. Although Kelly's summer league stats aren't bad, his on-court play told a different story. He seemed to be out of place quite a bit on offense and his defensive abilities are quite lacking.

Photo Credits: Jamei Oliver, Annabel Padilla, Nathaniel S. Butler

Tank Commander Bud: Why Budenholzer is the Perfect HC for the Hawks Tank

By: 1788 Sports’ Writer Bryce Sparling (@1788Sports @BryceS89)

At this point, you would have to be blind to have missed the fact that the Hawks are in full tank/rebuild mode. After the Millsap and Howard trade and allowing THJ to walk, it would be very hard to argue that they haven’t started planning for the future. No matter what Travis Schlenk says, this team is not competing for a playoff spot this year. As the franchise shifts focus from their 60 win, 1st seed mindset to a top 3 lottery pick, the question begs to be asked, is Bud right for this job?

To find the answer, you need to look into his coaching history with both Atlanta and San Antonio. Bud’s first introduction into NBA coaching came in the 96-97 season when he was hired on as Assistant Coach under Pop in San Antonio. During his time with the Spurs, he’s helped develop greats such as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker & Manu Ginobili. He helped Popovich turn San Antonio into the juggernaut we know it as now. Fast forward to the 2013-2014 season when Bud was announced as the new HC of the Atlanta Hawks. He was taking over a team that finished 6 games over .500 and only had one player on it that had ever made an All-Star game (Al Horford). Budenholzer, with help from Danny Ferry, added DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap to the Hawks as well as drafting Dennis Schroder. Immediate success didn’t happen, as their record dipped 6 games below .500 in Bud’s first year, but the following year's success showed Pop’s protege was fit for the position. The Hawks won 60 games, most in franchise history, had 4 players represent Atlanta in the All-Star game and had the 1st ever NBA player of the month award given to an entire starting 5. This season couldn’t have been seen as anything but a roaring success as Bud helmed the best team Atlanta has seen from the Hawks franchise. In the years that followed, we’ve seen an exodus of talented young players developed under Bud, simply because of the money their talent demands on the FA market. We saw Bud turn DeMarre Carroll into a glorified rotational bench player into a $14 million dollar junk yard dog, Al Horford went from a fringe All-Star to a near max player in Bos, and Kyle Korver went from journeyman to a spot up 3 shooter. After being traded mid-season in 2016 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he turned his talents into the richest contract he’s seen in his career at 36yrs old, 3yrs/7mill.

Rebuilding isn’t where you want your franchise to be. It’s much more exciting to watch a team that is competing and has a chance at a championship. Unfortunately, the only way to improve in the NBA is to tank, receive lottery picks & pray you don’t draft the next Darko Milicic. Atlanta will hold the rights to their own 1st rd draft pick in 2018, a top 5 lottery pick (hopefully), as well as Minnesota’s 1-14 protected pick. The Atlanta Hawks Hawks also put together a young, talented core in Dennis, Bembry, Prince, Bazemore and Collins. Bud’s track record speaks for itself. He has assembled young, talented teams that have overachieved at times. We couldn’t ask for a better equipped coach to navigate us through the rebuilding period we’re currently in. Until the time comes where the Hawks are perennial Eastern competitors: “O Captain, my Captain.”