Way-Too-Early Record Prediction for the Atlanta Hawks 2026-27 Season

The Atlanta Hawks have had a quiet but active offseason, if such a thing exists. They watched teams around them in the Eastern Conference add star players, like Giannis Antetokounmpo joining Miami, Toronto trying to obtain Kawhi Leonard, and Philadelphia getting both Jaylen Brown and LeBron James.

Those are teams that the Hawks will be competing with for playoff positioning, but it is not just them. New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Orlando, Boston, Charlotte, and even Washington have aspirations of competing at a high level this season, making the road to 50-plus wins more difficult.

Atlanta nearly did it last season, though. After being under .500 for much of the year, savvy acquisitions at the trade deadline helped propel the Hawks to their first playoff appearance since 2023 and helped them avoid the play-in tournament for the first time since 2021.

They would go on to lose in six games to the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, but Atlanta's young players showed promise, and instead of hitting the gas and trying to make splashy moves, the Hawks' front office added three talented players through the draft, as well as making trades for Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Jock Landale. Atlanta also brought back CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, two players who helped the Hawks hit their stride after the deadline.

With things around the NBA mostly settled, here is a very early prediction for the Hawks record this season.

My Projection: 47-35

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Atlanta Hawk — Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) reacts in front of New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) after being fouled during the first quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While this is just a one-win improvement for the Hawks, I think this is a perfectly reasonable expectation considering that the Eastern Conference is going to be tougher, but also because there are not going to be many teams in the NBA who are tanking.

It is fair to point out that for the Hawks and plenty of other teams around the NBA got to rack up wins against the teams that were tanking for a top pick in last year's loaded draft, but with the new tanking measures and the draft being weaker at the top, wins are not going to be as automatic this year.

My reason for optimism about Atlanta is in their young talent having room to improve, their starting lineup being one of the best in the NBA over the final 26 games, and the depth being much better.

The lineup of McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu was fantastic in the time they got to play together and now they will get to carry that into the season. Having Dort, Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, Landale as the top of the bench rotation is much better than what the Hawks had at the end of the season and the playoffs.

With the addition of Dort and Wiggins, Atlanta now has a variety of different players they can throw at opponents on the defensive end. the trio of Daniels, Dort, and NAW is one of the best in the NBA and the Hawks will be able to handle more physical opponents now.

This team is not without questions. Shooting and rim protection are going to be two areas to watch heading into the year, but Atlanta is equipped to go out and make a trade if needed.

Overall, this team has the makings of a playoff team and I think their depth and defensive identity is going to get them there.

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