Hawks 2025 Season Previews

[Jamaaliver]

Atlanta Hawks 2025 Season Predictions

Will Last Year's Play-in Teams Make Playoffs or Draft Lottery



Prediction: Lottery

The Atlanta Hawks should finish ahead of the Bulls, a Play-In entrant last year that doesn't figure to return to that level in 2024-25. But Trae Young and Co. are still up against a numbers game; none of the other teams that finished above them in the standings projects to be any weaker than they were last year.

In fact, it's easier to foresee improvement than decline from each of the (deep breath) Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. All eight of those teams finished with at least 10 more wins than the Hawks last season.

Maybe Atlanta can defy the odds by finding better roster balance in the wake of the trade that swapped out Dejounte Murray for a package headlined by Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and a pair of future first-round picks. And maybe the Hawks will get an All-NBA season out of Young, who is once again the team's solo on-ball creator with Murray out of the picture.

If the Hawks can't keep pace with the eight teams that finished ahead of them last season, they could pursue future-focused trades. Atlanta could shop Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter and any other vet who doesn't project as a strong support piece for the next iteration of the team, which'll be built around No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson.

Plus, the Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets are both capable of overtaking the Hawks in the standings and preventing them from even seeing the Play-In in the first place.

Bleacher Report

[tbhawksfan1]

Very surprised that peps talking about TOR having a better record. No way. Hawks will win over 40 and be at least 5 games up on TOR. More likely 10

Just dropped by Soaring down south to hear something different. What's going on over there? Always thought they were very homerish and optimistic, now it's all doom and gloom

Hawks need to show a lot of young player growth this year and be able to see a two year path to contention, if they can't do that then the Trae situation could get very unsettled

[tbhawksfan1]

The DM trade has so far brought two very disappointing seasons, stats that demonstrate that Trae / DM as the worst allstar combo ever and now the PEL trade

The bill for the original DM trade will come in over the next three seasons

A part from a crazy surprising playoff run, what I want from this season is a lot of young player development, new team meshing well, Hawks ending up with a better record than LAL and getting the better pick... SAC pick should deliver this year too..only top 12 protection

[Jamaaliver]

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IMO, this is the model for our success moving forwards.

Dominant, efficient offense.
Adequate defense.

Spoiler:

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Atlanta Hawks preview

The first sip
There’s a sizeable gap between the haves and have-nots in the Eastern Conference. The top seven seeds from last season feel like playoff locks again barring significant injuries. Each of those teams believes that they should win a playoff series next spring. This leaves a small middle class of teams still trying to win in the Hawks, Miami Heat, and possibly the Chicago Bulls with the remainder of the conference rebuilding.

The Hawks aren’t tanking, but aren’t exactly going for it either. They traded away Dejounte Murray after two years of trying to get that backcourt to work with Trae Young. In return, they’ve added Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. who should both help bolster a perennially poor defense. Still, it’s difficult to picture the best version of this team being relevant in the East barring another leap from Jalen Johnson and an impressive rookie season from first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

This will ultimately be a transition season for Atlanta. They will need to decide if they want to continue retooling around Young or fully embrace the soft rebuild they’ve already started.

How the Cavs played the Hawks last season

Spoiler:

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Cleveland won three out of their four meetings last season. The most memorable game was the Cavs’ 128-105 beatdown in their final In-Season Tournament group stage game.

The Cavaliers needed to run up the score to advance in the tournament. Their 23-point victory wasn’t enough to do so, but it was weird to see their best players giving 100% late in the fourth quarter when the outcome was already decided.

Cavs vs. Hawks this season

• vs. Hawks - Nov. 27
• at Hawks, NBA Cup group stage - Nov. 29
• vs. Hawks - Jan. 30

They play again in the group stage of the NBA Cup. It will be difficult for the Cavs to run the table in their group given they will face the Celtics on the road. Winning against the Hawks by a sizeable margin will likely be necessary if they want to advance to the knockout round.

Notable players who have been with both franchises
Lenny Wilkens - Wilkens is a Hall of Famer due to his career with the St. Louis Hawks. He did however play two of his last three professional seasons in Cleveland averaging 18.5 points and 7.7 assists per contest.
Tree Rollins - Like Wilkens, Rollins is also known more for his 11 seasons in Atlanta where he was regarded as one of the best defensive centers in the league. Rollins played a reserve role in Cleveland from 1988-90.
Kyle Korver - Korver was a part of the best regular season in Hawks history as he played an important role on the 60-win team in 2014-15. He also played a reserve role for two Finals teams with the 2017 and ‘18 Cavs.

Cavs -- SB Nation

[Jamaaliver]

Never forget that 2 week span back in 2023 when the Atlanta Hawks were the greatest Offense in NBA History...

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Can The Hawks Make The Playoffs?

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The East’s landscape isn’t a pretty picture. At the bottom of the conference are the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors. Each of these teams are in a rebuild, and each won fewer than 33 games last season.

A couple of these franchises could improve dramatically next season. Nonetheless, there’s a legitimate reason to believe that the Hawks could at least challenge for a play-in spot.

Of course, that’s if Atlanta hasn’t regressed this offseason.

Offseason acquisitions like Larry Nance Jr., Dyson Daniels, and Zaccharie Risacher could pay dividends for them. Each of them projects to make a positive impact with their defense and versatility. However, they don’t offer the firepower of Dejounte Murray, who posted 22.5 points and 6.4 assists per game last season.

In fact, if Nance and Daniels’s 2023-24 scoring averages were combined, that number (11.5 points per game) would almost be half of Murray’s scoring production. That’s alarming, even if assuming Jalen Johnson will take the next step in his development. As a result, the Hawks will need a lot of internal improvement, and not just from Johnson.

De’Andre Hunter has to be a more assertive scorer. Clint Capela needs to become more active defensively and improve his ability to guard in space. Bogdan Bogdanovic can be more of a two-way playmaker. Trae Young should look to maintain his defensive intensity from last season and empower his teammates as scorers.

“But if you look at the East, we got a number of teams that aren’t looking to make the playoffs or care more about their draft stock than wins, and we’re not one of those teams," Nance tells ESPN’s The Hoop Collective. So, hopefully, if we do what we’re supposed to do, we’ll snag an 8-seed (or) snag a 7-seed, surprise some people.”

“I was thrilled to get out of the West, because that 1 through 6 —1 through 15 —there is brutal.”

“No, we’re not (tanking),” Nance says, agreeing with Brian Windhorst. Windhorst aptly notes that the Hawks don’t have control of their own first round pick this season. As a result, there’s no benefit to them purposely or strategically losing games, as many teams do when jostling for draft position.

“Funny enough, of 30 teams, I probably know three to four people —players —on each team,” Nance says. “But the Hawks, that was the one team that I know I have no prior previous relationships with anybody. So I’m going down there like, ‘How you doing? I’m Larry.’

We’ll see where it goes.”

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Can Hawks’ Four Horsemen Lead Them To NBA Playoffs?



If the Atlanta Hawks are going to compete for a playoff spot in 2024-25, a lot has to go right for them.

The Hawks aren’t loaded with established stars like the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers. They don’t have multiple players who averaged at least 20 points per game last season like the Milwaukee Bucks or Indiana Pacers. They don’t have a firm defensive base to rely upon, unlike the Miami Heat or New York Knicks. Entering next season, their offensive ceiling, perimeter defense, and durability are legitimate concerns.

Despite the obstacles Atlanta faces, there are a couple of reasons to believe in them.

The Hawks do have a frontcourt with a lot of defensive potential, which is key for title-contenders. They aren’t lacking for 3-point threats, which is essential in the modern era. They also have four players who have the potential to put up 20 or more points per game. In fact, one of them has averaged at least 25 points and 10 assists per game the past two seasons.

Between this quartet and their supporting cast, the Hawks have a puncher’s chance to clinch a postseason berth. It’ll be that much easier if Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who led the Utah Jazz to seven consecutive playoff appearances, is at the top of his game.

Trae Young

Spoiler:

There’s a lot that point to Hawks engine Trae Young having his best season in 2023-24, despite being sidelined by a thumb injury for an extended period.

The 2018 No. 5 pick averaged 25.7 points, 10.8 assists (career-high), and 1.3 steals (career-high) per game. He made 37.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, the second-highest mark of his career. It was his first season averaging at least 25 points, 10 assists, and 1 steal per game while shooting at least 37 percent from 3.

Numbers aside, he was a more assertive point of attack defender. As the season wore, he stopped dominating the ball as much. With Dejounte Murray gone, it would be easy for him to go back to hero ball, especially for a player with his offensive ability. However, he needs to build off of last season, embracing his teammates tapping into their potential.

Jalen Johnson

Spoiler:

Jalen Johnson being the Hawks’ only untouchable player should tell people all they need to know.

At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, the former first-round pick is an all-around player with plenty of upside. Last season he had a career year, averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He was so dynamic he even started drawing comparisons to four-time MVP selection LeBron James.

His partnership with Young, an elite facilitator, will help determine his offensive ceiling. So will his own guard skills, as Johnson needs to sharpen up his 3-point shooting. Lastly, he has to clean up his finishes under the rim.

With Murray in New Orleans, Johnson has the biggest chance to step up into a star role. With his upside, there’s a genuine belief that he can. Not many players have his combination of youth, athleticism, skill, and versatility.

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Spoiler:

Bogdan Bogdanovic is almost a walking contradiction. He’s only been in the league for seven years, but he’s already 32 years old. He’s a known product, but not a household name. The Serbian shooting guard is a sixth man in the U.S., but the captain of a team that has three-time MVP selection Nikola Jokic on it.

All he might need to reconcile the difference between his identities a larger role in the NBA. With questions about who will start alongside Young in the backcourt, he just might.

The scorer averaged a career-high 16.9 points per game in 2023-24, shooting 37.4 percent from 3. In his NBA career, he’s still yet to convert under 36 percent of his 3-point attempts. If looking for a catch-and-shoot guard who can play off Young, there may be none better. Playing with the defensive intensity he displayed with Serbia in the Paris Olympics would help his case.

De’Andre Hunter

Spoiler:

Due to the expectations of a fourth overall pick, De’Andre Hunter is characterized as an underwhelming player. He simply hasn’t taken over enough games at either end of the floor. Yet, there’s too much focus on what Hunter hasn’t been than what he has.

In three of the last four seasons, he’s averaged at least 15 points per game, proving himself capable of scoring on or off the ball. In two of the last three seasons, he’s converted at least 37 of his 3s. Though he doesn’t generate many turnovers, he’s been the Hawks’ most reliable perimeter defender for the past two seasons.

He is imperfect. The chiseled forward needs to become a more inspired rebounder, especially at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds. He needs to play with a consistent fire offensively, like he did when averaging 21.2 points per game in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Nonetheless, if Atlanta is going to steal a playoff spot, they’ll need him at both ends.

Last Word on Sports

[Jamaaliver]

[HMFFL]

Good.
Man, I hope Trae takes it to another level this season. I'd love to see him win All-Star MVP and the 3 point contest too.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

[HMFFL]

Can Hawks’ Four Horsemen Lead Them To NBA Playoffs?



If the Atlanta Hawks are going to compete for a playoff spot in 2024-25, a lot has to go right for them.

The Hawks aren’t loaded with established stars like the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers. They don’t have multiple players who averaged at least 20 points per game last season like the Milwaukee Bucks or Indiana Pacers. They don’t have a firm defensive base to rely upon, unlike the Miami Heat or New York Knicks. Entering next season, their offensive ceiling, perimeter defense, and durability are legitimate concerns.

Despite the obstacles Atlanta faces, there are a couple of reasons to believe in them.

The Hawks do have a frontcourt with a lot of defensive potential, which is key for title-contenders. They aren’t lacking for 3-point threats, which is essential in the modern era. They also have four players who have the potential to put up 20 or more points per game. In fact, one of them has averaged at least 25 points and 10 assists per game the past two seasons.

Between this quartet and their supporting cast, the Hawks have a puncher’s chance to clinch a postseason berth. It’ll be that much easier if Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, who led the Utah Jazz to seven consecutive playoff appearances, is at the top of his game.

Trae Young

Spoiler:

There’s a lot that point to Hawks engine Trae Young having his best season in 2023-24, despite being sidelined by a thumb injury for an extended period.

The 2018 No. 5 pick averaged 25.7 points, 10.8 assists (career-high), and 1.3 steals (career-high) per game. He made 37.3 percent of his 3-point attempts, the second-highest mark of his career. It was his first season averaging at least 25 points, 10 assists, and 1 steal per game while shooting at least 37 percent from 3.

Numbers aside, he was a more assertive point of attack defender. As the season wore, he stopped dominating the ball as much. With Dejounte Murray gone, it would be easy for him to go back to hero ball, especially for a player with his offensive ability. However, he needs to build off of last season, embracing his teammates tapping into their potential.

Jalen Johnson

Spoiler:

Jalen Johnson being the Hawks’ only untouchable player should tell people all they need to know.

At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, the former first-round pick is an all-around player with plenty of upside. Last season he had a career year, averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He was so dynamic he even started drawing comparisons to four-time MVP selection LeBron James.

His partnership with Young, an elite facilitator, will help determine his offensive ceiling. So will his own guard skills, as Johnson needs to sharpen up his 3-point shooting. Lastly, he has to clean up his finishes under the rim.

With Murray in New Orleans, Johnson has the biggest chance to step up into a star role. With his upside, there’s a genuine belief that he can. Not many players have his combination of youth, athleticism, skill, and versatility.

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Spoiler:

Bogdan Bogdanovic is almost a walking contradiction. He’s only been in the league for seven years, but he’s already 32 years old. He’s a known product, but not a household name. The Serbian shooting guard is a sixth man in the U.S., but the captain of a team that has three-time MVP selection Nikola Jokic on it.

All he might need to reconcile the difference between his identities a larger role in the NBA. With questions about who will start alongside Young in the backcourt, he just might.

The scorer averaged a career-high 16.9 points per game in 2023-24, shooting 37.4 percent from 3. In his NBA career, he’s still yet to convert under 36 percent of his 3-point attempts. If looking for a catch-and-shoot guard who can play off Young, there may be none better. Playing with the defensive intensity he displayed with Serbia in the Paris Olympics would help his case.

De’Andre Hunter

Spoiler:

Due to the expectations of a fourth overall pick, De’Andre Hunter is characterized as an underwhelming player. He simply hasn’t taken over enough games at either end of the floor. Yet, there’s too much focus on what Hunter hasn’t been than what he has.

In three of the last four seasons, he’s averaged at least 15 points per game, proving himself capable of scoring on or off the ball. In two of the last three seasons, he’s converted at least 37 of his 3s. Though he doesn’t generate many turnovers, he’s been the Hawks’ most reliable perimeter defender for the past two seasons.

He is imperfect. The chiseled forward needs to become a more inspired rebounder, especially at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds. He needs to play with a consistent fire offensively, like he did when averaging 21.2 points per game in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Nonetheless, if Atlanta is going to steal a playoff spot, they’ll need him at both ends.

Last Word on Sports

I enjoyed that.

These young Hawks can really establish themselves this season.

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[jayu70]

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NBA Players with Most to Prove in 2025

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young



Trae Young is a three-time All-Star and one-time leader of an Eastern Conference finals trek. On the surface, the hyper-productive point guard shouldn't have much to prove.

And yet, his entire existence with Atlanta—the only NBA franchise he's known—is seemingly up in the air. The Hawks already split from his backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, this offseason and could potentially pivot toward a youth-focused rebuild around Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Kobe Bufkin and this year's No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher.

Atlanta may have already taken that plunge if not for the fact the San Antonio Spurs have control of the Hawks' next three first-round picks. That buys Young a little more time to convince this front office he should remain their centerpiece. He'll also be eligible for an extension after this season, so he needs to prove he's worthy of another major-money commitment.

Bleacher Report