Where Do The Atlanta Hawks Stack Up in the Eastern Conference After the Early Part of Free Agency?

Can the Atlanta Hawks find a way back in the playoffs in 2024-2025?

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 offseason has slowed down significantly after the first few days of free agency. There are still some moves out there that can be made, but it seems like things have settled down across the league. The Hawks were a team that was going to make some moves and they made one of the biggest trades of the offseason last week when they sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, EJ Liddell, and two first-round picks. There have been rumors around the Hawks possibly moving Clint Capela or De'Andre Hunter, but they have not done anything of significance this offseason aside from the NBA Draft and trading Murray.

While acknowledging there could still be some moves made this offseason, where do the Hawks stack up with the rest of the Eastern Conference after this early period of free agency?

Let's start at the top.

There is going to be no question that the Boston Celtics are going to be the favorites to win the NBA Title next season and are going to be the heavy favorite to be the top seed in the East again. Boston is returning their entire team from a year ago and while it is tough to repeat, they are going to be the most well positioned team to do so since Kevin Durant was on the Warriors.

The next tier of teams is where I would place New York and Philadelphia. They both made all-in type moves this offseason in an effort to close the gap between them and the Celtics and both should be elite teams this season. New York traded for Mikal Bridges and re-signed OG Anunoby and will have one of the deepest teams in the NBA. Philadelphia signed Paul George to a max deal and are still filling out the rest of their team. These two teams seem like the most obvious threats to Boston this upcoming season.

Milwaukee, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana, and Miami are teams that I would put above the Hawks, but if things broke the right way, there are scenarios where Atlanta is better than some of those teams.

The Bucks have the best player in the Eastern Conference in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they have not made any significant moves to their roster and are getting a little overlooked right now. The biggest issues will be fixing their perimeter defense and making sure they are healthy for the postseason.

Cleveland seems like they are keeping their core four guys of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen together and while they still need to prove they make a deep postseason run, those guys have shown they are a good regular season core and should win at least 45-50 games. If Kenny Atkinson is a huge coaching upgrade then this team could be placed with the Knicks and 76ers.

Orlando, Indiana, and Miami are three teams that I am keeping a close eye on this season. Assuming Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Cleveland are the top five teams in the East, the Hawks are going to have to find a way to be better than these three teams to get inside the top six of the Eastern Conference. That won't be easy of course, but Indiana and Orlando could be teams that regress.

While I love the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando, you could still make the argument they need a point guard to run their offense. KCP brings shooting to the Magic, but he is not a high-usage player that is going to create for others and instantly make everyone's offense better. If the Magic are still a below average offense, they could go from being the No. 5 seed to a play-in team.

Indiana made the conference finals, but the benefitted from Milwaukee being injured and the Knicks falling apart with injuries in the second round. Indiana was the opposite of Orlando. They had one of the leagues best offenses while being below average on the other end, although they did improve once they acquired Pascal Siakam. If the Pacers defense does not improve and the players around Tyrese Haliburton and Siakam don't continue to progress, Indiana could fall into the play-in tournament.

Then there is the Miami Heat. Miami has the best coach in the NBA and have proven they could make deep runs in the postseason, but they have not any major moves and you could argue that they have gotten worse. They lost Caleb Martin for nothing to Philadelphia and Martin played a significant role on their team. Miami has also struggled to stay healthy and has finished in the play-in tournament two years in a row. On paper, I think Miami can be a top six seed, but if things go wrong, they could easily be in the play-in tournament again.

Which brings me back to the Hawks. Barring something drastic, I think Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Cleveland are clearly better than Atlanta. If all of those teams stay healthy, it is hard for me to imagine Atlanta finishing above them in the standings, though anything is possible. I think the Hawks, Heat, Magic, and Pacers are all going to be competing for that No. 6 spot and I think you could make the argument for any of them. I have liked what Atlanta has done this offseason and their acquisitions are better suited around Trae Young.

Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher provide size and defense around Young, helping to cover his inabilities on defense. If Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu take steps forward in their progression, the Hawks have a foundation for a strong starting five. Factor in Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter (if he is not moved) and the Hawks are a well-constructed team. A lot is going to fall on the new acquisitions and leaps from Johnson, Okongwu, and second-year guard Kobe Bufkin, but there are some similarities to this team and the 2020-2021 team that surprised everyone by finishing 5th in the East. I am not saying that is what is going to happen, but this team makes more sense on paper than the last two seasons.

The teams I am confident that Atlanta is better than are Toronto, Chicago, Charlotte, Detroit, Washington, and Brooklyn. Barring serious injury disaster, Atlanta should finish well ahead of those teams, though Toronto has talent.

There is a chance that the Hawks will make moves to put them in a better position, but here is how I see the Eastern Conference right now after the early wave of free agency:

1. Boston

2. New York

3. Philadelphia

4. Milwaukee

5. Cleveland

6. Orlando

7. Indiana

8. Miami

9. Atlanta

10. Toronto

11. Chicago

12. Charlotte

13. Detroit

14. Washington

15. Brooklyn

I have Atlanta 9th, but the 6-9 range is where they are likely to fall. Let's see how this team gels together and if there are any other moves for Landry Fields and the Hawks front office.