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Do the Hawks care if Dwight Howard makes a stink?

By Keith Parish

Apr 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) greets guard Dennis Schroder (17, second from left), forward Mike Muscala (31) and guard Malcolm Delaney (5) as Howard returns to the bench in the third quarter of their game against the Washington Wizards of game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 116-98. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) greets guard Dennis Schroder (17, second from left), forward Mike Muscala (31) and guard Malcolm Delaney (5) as Howard returns to the bench in the third quarter of their game against the Washington Wizards of game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 116-98. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Hawks were eliminated by the Wizards over the weekend, as Atlanta’s 10th consecutive trip to the playoffs ended in a disappointing — albeit expected — first round exit. And after the series, Dwight Howard expressed his dissatisfaction with his role on the team, which is not that unusual of an occurrence for him at this point.

But how much of that matters to the Hawks? Their bigger issue is deciding what to do with Paul Millsap if he opts out of his contract, and whether they can continue to build around Millsap, Howard and young point guard Dennis Schröder. If they maintain this current core, will they be able to compete for a championship anytime soon? For a franchise that has the second longest active playoff streak (and has made the postseason an impressive 45 times in the last 62 years), what are the factors at play when deciding whether to reload for another playoff push or to rebuild aiming for a title somewhere down the line?

To help answer these question and look at the 2016-17 Hawks season, Kevin Chouinard (@KLChouinard) of Hawks.com and the ATL and 29 podcast joins the latest episode of Fastbreak Breakfast. Should Millsap have been moved at the trade deadline? Will ownership want to loosen the purse strings to keep him? Did Mike Budenholzer employ enough small-ball lineups against Washington? Was Taurean Prince the reason Thabo Sefolosha disappeared from the rotation? And if Howard can’t be satisfied, how will that shape the offseason?

All Fastbreak Breakfast episodes are also available for download on iTunes and Soundcloud.

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