1) Who or what was the biggest surprise of the season?
Jason Walker: Mike Scott's development into a full-on stretch four and making an impact with so many threes was very surprising considering he was not a lock for the roster at all.
Kris Willis: Easily Paul Millsap. When he signed over the summer we knew that the Hawks were getting a solid all-around player. He got to Atlanta, began knocking down threes and emerged as the team's leader after Horford went down. He made his first trip to the All-Star Game and was the bargain signing of the offseason.
Throw: Biggest surprise to me was the emergence of Shelvin Mack on the bench. Last year I saw him as a liability that wasn't strong as a perimeter defender and also tended to over dribble then on the offensive end. In fact, if you go back in our archive I believe I made mention of how I would prefer to have Royal Ivey on the team as the final guard. That said, Shelvin went from being on the cut list to being a very solid backup for this team.
Chase Thomas: It would probably be how quickly the roster bought in to Mike Budenholzer's scheme and flourished. Mike Scott attempted one 3-pointer last season but turned into a 3-point assassin this season. It was surprising, but in a good way.
RedRev: Pero Antic. It was a surprise that the Macedonian was able to contribute in the rotation, but I remain shocked that he became an adequate starter prior to his disappointing playoff performance.
Brad Rowland: Shelvin Mack. I had Shelvin firmly on the cut line in the pre-season, and never imagined a scenario in which he would become a better-than-average backup point guard in the NBA. Mack was also the best defensive player of all the small guards this season, and if he can uptick in his shooting rates next season (wherever he lands), he could be a quality backup or a fringe starter for a long while.
Daniel Christian: I'll say Mike Scott's ascension to role player status, if only because I firmly believed in a few other things that others might label as surprises to them. For example, I firmly believed Budenholzer would be a great fit, that DeMarre would have a career year, and that Millsap would work with Horford. All of those things, to some degree, I expected. Even after summer Mike Scott's impressive summer league though, I just did not think he would get significant minutes for this team. Sure, injuries in the front court may have forced Coach Bud's hand a little, but Scott, on the whole, was a success story that I didn't see coming.
