Soaring Down South
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Atlanta Hawks: Power ranking the Southeast Division ahead of free agency

By Joshua Buckhalter

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 20: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks controls the ball as Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat defendsduring the second half of an NBA game at State Farm Arena on February 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 20: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks controls the ball as Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat defendsduring the second half of an NBA game at State Farm Arena on February 20, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

The Atlanta Hawks aren’t expected to be major players in free agency; outside of re-signing John Collins, that is. They have a well-rounded mix of veterans and young players that got a ton of great experience in the playoffs last season. But they cannot rest on their laurels as the rest of the East is sure to make improvements.

Since so much is about to change in the next few days, let’s focus just on the Southeast division. Now, unlike some sports, divisions only come into play with tie-breakers since the NBA abandoned seeding rules.

Still, as a preliminary measuring stick, it can be useful to see how the teams stack up against one another.

How do the Atlanta Hawks stack up to the rest of the division ahead of free agency?

It was a good year for the Hawks against the Southeast in 2021. They went 9-3, their most wins and best winning percentage against any division last season. It was evenly spread too, with Atlanta sweeping both the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards while taking 2-of-3 games from the Miami Heat.

The Charlotte Hornets were the only division foe to have a winning record against them, going 2-1 versus the Hawks. Atlanta would have the last laugh, though, earning the fifth seed in the playoffs and making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here’s the rub: the others in the division are expected to be big players in free agency.

That means they will improve forcing the Hawks to do the same, albeit most likely at a lesser level. They had a great draft and have a roster that should contend for years to come.

So, before free agency officially begins, let’s take a spin around the division to rank the teams.