Well, I am quite rusty at this endeavor, but we're getting started a little earlier, actually, this year than last year because we don't have the Olympics slowing us down.

But the honor of being the number one season outlook, once again, goes to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks.

How you doing, man?

I'm doing well. I appreciate getting the email each year and

suspecting that I'm first. But this year, you just told me I was first this time. So that was

nice to see. A warm blanket in late August. Yeah, well, I can't recall the last time. Even I think

this season that they went to the East Finals eventually, I can't recall the last time that people were this excited about a Hawks season.

Maybe it would have been after they won the 60 games in 2015, but pretty interesting in Hawksland right now.

What's kind of been the local reaction to some of the moves and the offseason?

I think there is some real buzz to your point. I think it started last season, even if modestly,

you know, they did go over their win total. They didn't violently overachieve last year.

But if you were someone, and I know your listeners and viewers are like this,

if you like context, they had a relatively successful season a year ago. And then they went

into the summer with essentially their top five players, their projected starting five

from going back to April and May that kept all of those guys and then they added two of the

more intriguing, maybe you would say two of the top five or ten best players who changed teams

this summer without having to trade all that much. And we won't get into it on this conversation,

I would imagine too much. But then they also made that grand slam of a draft day trade with the Pelicans that

really excited people as well, much more of a future concern than a present day concern. But yeah,

I mean, I think the buzz is real. And some of the projections, you're right about 2021. That season

was, they were going to be pretty good. But they got hot unexpectedly. So going into a season, I think it is probably their highest projection or highest

buzz when it comes to team quality since maybe the season after that conference final season,

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