Ranking the Atlanta Hawks Three Biggest Strengths Heading Into Next Season

While they are not seen as one of the true contenders in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks are being looked at as a safe bet to be in the mix for a playoff spot once again.

Although the journey took some interesting twists and turns, the Hawks were able to avoid the play-in tournament and make the top six of the Eastern Conference for the first time since the 2021 season, and they brought back the majority of that team while adding in some new pieces that should help them in that quest.

When looking at the Hawks ahead of this season, what strengths stand out?

3. Improved Depth

The starting lineup of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu was one of the best in the NBA over the last 26 games of the season, but the Hawks' depth hurt them, especially in the postseason. They set out to fix that this offseason, and I think they have.

Trading for Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard will help, while Jock Landale, Kingston Flemings, Mouhamed Gueye, and Asa Newell are options as well. Atlanta has lineup versatility and different things they can throw at opponents every night.

2. Defensive Potential

During the Trae Young era, the Hawks continiously had one of the worst defenses in the league. That is not going to be the case this season.

While I think their lack of rim protection is going to hold them back from being the No.1 defense in the NBA, having perimeter defenders like Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is going to be a nightmare for a lot of teams to deal with, but Onyeka Okongwu, Kingston Flemings, Devin Carter, Mouhamed Gueye, and Zuby Ejiofor also give the Hawks more options on that end of the floor.

This should be the best defense of the Quin Snyder era and something this team can count on.

1. High Upside Players

The Atlanta Hawks don't have a "superstar" on their roster, but they have a lot of young players on their team that could either hit that ceiling or continue to improve into All-Star caliber players.

Aside from CJ McCollum and some lower end bench players, I don't think anyone on the Hawks has hit their ceiling yet as a player and that is one of the reasons the Hawks wanted to prioritize continuity this offseason instead of chasing star player trades.

Jalen Johnson just made his first All-Star game and All-NBA game; Nickeil Alexander-Walker played the biggest role of his NBA career and won the NBA's Most Improved Player award; Dyson Daniels is one of the game's elite defenders, and Onyeka Okongwu is one of the most underrated centers in the league.

On top of the starters, players such as Kingston Flemings, Aaron Wiggins, Asa Newell, and Mouhamed Gueye have real upside as well and they could take real leaps this year, though expectations should be lower for a rookie.

Does this mean the Hawks are the next version of the Thunder or Spurs with their young talent? No, but the biggest strength of this team is the fact that they could have a lot of internal improvement and have a number of different players take steps.

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