Hawks Receive Lots of Votes From ESPN Panel For the "Team Most Likely To Take A Tumble" This Season

Will the Hawks take a big step back this season after trading away Dejounte Murray?

Feb 14, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles covered by Charlotte Hornets forward Cody Martin (11) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA season is still nine weeks away from getting started and the offseason is at its quietest point right now. Unless something unforeseen happens, that gives plenty of time for reflection on what teams have done and determine where every team stacks up in their respective conferences.

The Hawks are a team that has some different opinions about them and what they did this offseason. Atlanta won the Draft Lottery and then selected French Forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick and they traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller, and two first-round picks. They then traded Liddell to Phoenix for David Roddy. The Hawks navigated trade rumors surrounding Trae Young and now have an interesting team that is better suited to maximize his skill set and improve the Hawks's two biggest weaknesses from last year, which were size and defense.

While you could argue that the Hawks have gotten better at certain areas, not everyone feels good about the direction the Hawks are going for the season. ESPN had a panel of experts vote on a variety of topics for the upcoming season and when it came to teams who could take a tumble this year, the Hawks received quite a few votes, finishing in third behind the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. Here is what was said about those teams:

"When it comes to the Team Turmoil vote, the focus is on uncertainty on the floor, coaching staff and front office.

This season's "winner" is the Los Angeles Lakers, who have a first-time coach in JJ Redick, a superstar turning 40 in LeBron James and plenty of questions on the court after a first-round exit in last season's playoffs.

Following the Lakers are their crosstown rivals, the LA Clippers, who are opening the sparkling new Intuit Dome down one All-Star after Paul George left for Philadelphia. The Hawks take third after trading away Dejounte Murray in the offseason and handing the offensive reins to Trae Young, whose future in Atlanta remains in question."

I do think the Hawks might be a better team than last year, but the main reason I would push pack on them taking a "tumble" is that they don't have very far to tumble. The Hawks finished in 9th place in the Eastern Conference this year and while you can argue over how good they are, I am comfortable saying the Hawks are better than Toronto, Chicago, Brooklyn, Washington, Detroit, and Charlotte, meaning I still like them to be a play-in team. The votes for the Lakers and Clippers make sense because they could fall out of the playoffs all together.

I would argue that Atlanta has gotten better this season while also admitting they are not a Finals contender. Getting Risacher and Daniels should improve the defense and be better fit with Trae Young. Jalen Johnson and Oneyka Okongwu are candidates to take a leap forward this year, not to mention that Bogdan Bogdanovic, Larry Nance, Clint Capela, and De'Andre Hunter give the Hawks depth and versatility that they did not have last year.

Bleacher Report analyst Dan Favale gave a reason why the Hawks should not be overlooked this season and he mentioned their lineup versatility:

"Pinpointing an exact direction for the Atlanta Hawks remains somewhat difficult.

They have Trae Young and don't control their own first-round pick again until 2029, so they have every incentive to #goforit. At the same time, the roster is set up to rely on a handful of developmental prospects, including No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels and, to some extent, Kobe Bufkin (backup point guard minutes seem wide open).

This says nothing of guys like Onyeka Okongwu and the extension-eligible Jalen Johnson. Both are more known quantities. Neither, though, is a finished product.

It all adds up to a team with immediate expectations that could incur (plenty of) growing pains. Sign me up for it all—provided head coach Quin Snyder capitalizes on the lineup versatility at his disposal.

Okongwu, Johnson and Larry Nance Jr. permit the Hawks to downsize without actually shrinking how they operate. Risacher has fantastic size, at 6'9", and should be extremely plug-and-play on the offensive end thanks to his transition guile and half-court darting. De'Andre Hunter offers another 6'8" body and improved his shot diet last season. David Roddy is 6'4" but plays like he's 6'9", for both better and worse.

Here's hoping Atlanta gets super creative around Young. Personally, I'm pining to see him alongside Daniels, Johnson, Risacher and Nance. Floor-spacing could get tight, in which case Hunter could be plugged into one of the other spots. But the defensive intensity and malleability would be entertaining as hell."

The Hawks have not had the NBA's best offseason, but I think they have improved in certain areas and have a team that makes more sense. Let's see if that leads to more wins.