The Atlanta Hawks are heading into training camp with real buzz around what this roster can become. The offseason is nearly done, the regular season is right around the corner, and after last year’s run back to the playoffs, Atlanta enters this season with more depth, more defensive juice, and a chance to make a bigger move in the East.
That doesn’t mean the Hawks are flying under the radar by accident. They’re not drawing the same headlines as some of the conference heavyweights, but they’ve added useful pieces through the draft and a few trades, and that matters in a conference that looks crowded from top to bottom.
The East has a pileup of teams with a case to finish in the top four: New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Cleveland, Toronto, Miami, Orlando, Indiana, and Atlanta. Charlotte and Washington can even be tossed into the play-in discussion. Somebody is going to end up disappointed, but Atlanta has enough on hand that it does not have to be them.
One bold call is that the Hawks can push for a top-four seed. If their starting group looks as strong as it did over the final 26 games of last season and the additions of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, and others turn them into one of the deepest teams in the conference, Atlanta has a real shot. It won’t be easy, but there are not many teams that can clearly say they’re better.
The Knicks are one of them. Philadelphia may have more talent, though questions remain about how many games Joel Embiid will play and how strong the defense will be.
Boston could take a step back after losing Jaylen Brown. Detroit had a so-so offseason.
Cleveland still has a lot to prove. Toronto added Kawhi Leonard and should defend well, but the shooting is a question.
Miami has Giannis Antetokounmpo now, but the roster still isn’t finished.
Atlanta’s own case starts with what it already showed after the All-Star Break, when the Hawks were one of the better defensive teams in the league. Now they’ve layered in more defenders to keep that edge going.
That brings us to another prediction: the Hawks are going to be a miserable matchup on the perimeter. Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Lu Dort give Atlanta a trio that can bother teams every night.
Wiggins, Mouhamed Gueye, Zuby Ejiofor, and even Kingston Flemings can hold their own defensively, too. Rim protection remains the one clear gap, but it may not be enough to keep Atlanta from landing among the NBA’s best defenses.
The final prediction is that the Hawks will have two All-Stars. Jalen Johnson is the obvious name. The other is Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Alexander-Walker made a huge leap last season, jumping from 9 PPG the year before in Minnesota to nearly 21 PPG. There is still more room for him to grow, especially as a passer. If he can expand his playmaking while keeping the shooting and perimeter defense that already make him valuable, he’ll have a strong case.
The East is loaded with quality guards, but Alexander-Walker may still be on the way up.
In Other News...
Mo Gueye Might Be A Bigger Hawks Story Than Fans Realize
Mouhamed Gueye has quietly become one of the more interesting developmental stories on Atlantas roster since the Hawks drafted him in 2023. His role has grown step by step as his defense and three-point shooting have taken noticeable strides, and that growth has put him in position to matter more than the casual fan might expect when the season starts.
The Hawks are counting on Gueye to be part of the bench group that gives them some flexibility, especially with the way his skill set can stretch a second unit. For a player who arrived as a long-term project, the next stretch of his career now carries a little more urgency, and Atlanta will get a clearer read on just how much he can become before the calendar turns again. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Still Have One Roster Problem That Could Define This Season
The center spot has been a sore point for Atlanta for a while, and it showed up again when Onyeka Okongwu was outmatched by Karl-Anthony Towns in the playoff series against the Knicks. The Hawks have already cycled through different answers, bringing in Jock Landale and Tony Bradley and adding young bigs such as Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar, but none has yet looked like the kind of interior anchor that changes the shape of the roster.
What comes next could end up defining the season as much as anything else the Hawks do. They can keep searching for help on the market or hope their younger centers grow into the job, while Okongwus place in the picture remains important after years of being viewed as part of the solution rather than the whole answer. An extension decision also looms, which only adds to the pressure on Atlanta to get this one right. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks' Newest Camp Addition Could Force An Unexpected Roster Debate
The Hawks have added another big man to the mix with the signing of center Will Baker to a training camp deal, a move that gives the organization another developmental body to evaluate before opening night. Baker arrives with G League experience already on his resume, having spent time with the Iowa Wolves and Osceola Magic, and he figures to get a closer look as Atlanta sorts out its frontcourt depth in camp.
For now, the path to a longer stay is not exactly straightforward. Atlantas two-way contract spots are already filled, which makes any further roster maneuvering more complicated, but those kinds of openings can change quickly once camp gets rolling and performances start to matter. Baker gives the Hawks a familiar type of option to monitor, and his presence adds another layer to a roster discussion that could become more interesting than it looked at first glance. [Read more 🡒]