Back in 2015, the Atlanta Hawks captivated the minds of small-market NBA teams idling on the treadmill of mediocrity.
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J.R. Wilco
Atlanta showed it was possible to build a contender from the ground-up without a franchise player on the roster. The Hawks wrestled the No. 1 seed away from LeBron James’ Cavaliers that season, with no one averaging more than 17 points per game. Mike Budenholzer, in his second season away from San Antonio, won the 2014-15 Coach of the Year award for his efforts in successfully replicating the Spurs model in the Eastern Conference.