The Atlanta Hawks’ future is getting harder to ignore.
They may not have piled up much recent postseason success, but the organization has spent the last year aggressively reshaping the roster while still holding onto most of its young core. That approach is clearly built around continuity, and Atlanta is betting that staying together will keep pushing the team upward in the standings.
That bet looks a lot more believable when you look at how the group has developed. This isn’t a roster that’s simply being kept intact for the sake of it. The Hawks have shown real growth year after year, and that upward track has started to show up outside of Atlanta, too.
ESPN’s latest offseason future power rankings backed that up, placing the Hawks ninth in the NBA. That put them one spot ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers and one behind the Philadelphia 76ers.
There’s a case to be made that Atlanta could have landed even higher. The 76ers and Cavaliers may both finish ahead of the Hawks this season, but both teams come with aging rosters and major chemistry questions, even with all the talent in place.
Atlanta’s appeal is different. The Hawks have a strong mix of talent and chemistry, and they’ve built depth into the roster rather than relying on a few stars to carry everything.
That matters. Depth is one of the biggest ingredients in building a contender, and Atlanta has given itself a better shot by keeping this group together long enough to work through its growing pains and become a stronger version of itself.
Under Quin Snyder, the Hawks have improved in the standings every season. With the roster continuing to get better, it wouldn’t be surprising if that climb keeps going in the seasons ahead.
In Other News...
Hawks May Have One Swing Skill That Changes Everything Under Quin Snyder
Under Quin Snyder, the Hawks have kept leaning into one of the leagues most valuable offensive traits: three-point accuracy. The broader history there is encouraging, too, because teams that finish near the top in percentage usually win a lot of games, even if that edge does not always carry them deep into the playoffs. For Atlanta, the real intrigue is how the roster has started to fit that identity, with the groups shooting profile looking sharper and more dangerous than it did before Snyder began molding it.
The next step may come from a place opponents do not always expect. Onyeka Okongwus growing comfort away from the rim gives Atlanta another way to stretch a defense, and if that kind of development holds, it changes the geometry of the floor for everyone else. Add in the new perimeter options around him, and the Hawks could be building toward something more than a hot shooting stretch - they could be assembling one of the leagues most efficient spacing attacks. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Season May Come Down To One Problem Around Jalen Johnson
Atlantas path this season looks a lot like the one it took a year ago: stay deep, keep the roster balanced and trust internal growth to do the heavy lifting. After winning 46 games and making a playoff run that stretched the eventual champions to six games, the Hawks mostly resisted big offseason swings, choosing instead to round out the rotation and bank on development from the players already in place.
That puts a premium on the next step from Jalen Johnson, along with the other young pieces expected to shape the lineup around him. If the shooting and defensive work from that group comes along, Atlantas depth could look like a strength again. If it doesnt, the Hawks may find themselves leaning on the same questions that followed them into last spring, only with even less margin for error. [Read more 🡒]