Atlanta Hawks Make Significant Leap in Latest National Power Rankings

The Hawks had a 4-0 road trip and have made a big jump in the latest round of power rankings

Nov 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) shoots against the Detroit Pistons in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks hit a bit of a speedbump last night in their loss to the Detroit Pistons, but they have otherwise had a nice run in the 5-10 games.

After being below .500 for much of the first part of the year, Atlanta surged, winning 5 straight, including going 4-0 on a West Coast road trip. In most power rankings, the Hawks were outside of the top 15 last week, but they have made a big move up following their big winning streak:

Where are they?

Nov 18, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) dribbles against the Detroit Pistons in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The latest power rankings from ESPN, the Hawks moved from 16th to 9th and writer Ohm Youngmisuk had this note on Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker:

"When the Hawks acquired Alexander-Walker, they felt they were adding much-needed two-way versatility and an exceptional role player. They've gotten that and more so far. Since Trae Young went down with an MCL injury, Alexander-Walker has been big for coach Quin Snyder. He can play point and shooting guard and attacks on the drive to put pressure on defenses. Alexander-Walker missed a couple of games because of injury but has scored in double figures in each game he has played. Since Young was injured on Oct. 29, Alexander-Walker is averaging 19.4 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds."

The Hawks did not make as big of a jump in the NBA.com power rankings, going from 19th to 14th:

"The Hawks had lost their previous 135 games (a streak dating back to April of 2017) that they trailed by at least 20 points in the fourth quarter. But they somehow outscored the Suns, 38-15, over the final 8 1/2 minutes on Sunday. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (continuing to start in place of Trae Young) actually outscored Phoenix (16-15) by himself over that closing stretch and had the go-ahead bucket on a drive with a little less than a minute to go.

Alexander-Walker’s usage rate (24.7%) has taken a huge jump from his 2 1/2 seasons in Minnesota (no higher than 16.7%), but his scoring efficiency is down just a tick from the last two years. He missed the first two games of the winning streak, but Atlanta has outscored its opponents by 81 points (40.8 per 100 possessions) in his 87 minutes over the last three.

Fast-break points over the five-game winning streak: 117-44 in favor of the Hawks."

Up Next

The Hawks now have to reset and get ready for another short road trip. They are going to San Antonio on Thursday to face a Spurs team that will be without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, they face the Pelicans on Saturday (need I say more?), and then wrap up the week with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets. This is going to be a nice opportunity for the Hawks to get back on track and continue trending up in the Eastern Conference.

For that to happen though, it would be helpful if they started getting some guys back.

Last night, the Hawks were still without Trae Young, but they had been playing better without Trae Young over the past few weeks. The Hawks missed Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis last night against one of the biggest and most physical teams in the NBA. Who knows when those two guys will be back, but the Hawks could use them.

Without Risacher last night, the Hawks started Vit Krejci and had to play him nearly 40 minutes. Now, Krejci has been red hot shooting from three and has been a useful bench player for the Hawks over the course of the past couple of weeks, but playing him that amount of minutes against one of the best teams in the NBA is probably not going to result in anything good if you are Atlanta.

Getting healthy this week and winning these three games is going to be crucial for the Hawks to get back on track. The Hawks have had one of the better defenses in the NBA over the past ten games, but it has slipped when they don't have everyone available (duh). They can use these next three games to get their identity back and get on the right track towards winning as the season goes along and Trae Young inches closer to getting back.