The Atlanta Hawks have started their 2025-26 campaign with a rollercoaster of emotions. Through the first 13 games, the Hawks have climbed to an 8-5 record, but they started just 1-3 and have had some concerning weaknesses.
Kristaps Porzingis and Zaccharie Risacher have already missed time, and more notably, Trae Young's MCL sprain will sideline him for another month. Atlanta entered this season with a renewed sense of optimism, but with over 15% of the season already behind them, injuries and inconsistent performances have tempered that hope.
This result has left Atlanta in a spot they're all too familiar with: good enough to compete, but not good enough to contend. But there is still a full season for the new team to gel and for tweaks to be made.
Offense: C
Put an asterisk on this grade, as Trae Young's injury has severely limited Atlanta's offensive output. Still, many of Atlanta's other offensive pieces haven't been able to take that step up in his absence. While the pieces for a successful offense are there, they have struggled without Young or a clear emphasis on pushing the pace. While Young will be able to work his magic upon his return, the non-Trae minutes could again be a significant weakness for this team.
Perimeter Defense: B+
There have been strong individual efforts, with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading the pack, but the rotation as a whole still lacks consistency. Keaton Wallace, who is known for his perimeter defense, has not had the game-changing impact you would hope for, and Luke Kennard has been a disaster (as always) on this end. Like the offense, however, you would expect Wallace to improve with time.
Interior Defense: C
Atlanta's rim defense has been a weakness at times, but the team has the size and depth to move forward from this lackluster start. Quin Snyder has clearly emphasized team defense since Young fell to injury, and the team has noticeably improved in this regard.
Rebounding: F
This grade should come as no surprise, as rebounding has already cost the team a pair of losses. The Hawks are 26th in defensive rebounding percentage and 23rd on the offensive end. Only the Wizards are worse in both categories. Kristaps Porzingis has been a poor rebounder throughout his career, and the rest of the team hasn't been able to pick up the slack. The path to a league-average rebounding team is there, but this will always be this roster's Achilles heel.
Bench Production: B+
The Hawks' depth has become a surprising bright spot for this Atlanta team. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu both belong in Sixth Man of the Year conversations, while sharpshooter Vit Krejci and rookie Asa Newell have had some big moments as well.
Overall: B-
Despite all their misfortune, Atlanta is still fifth in the Eastern Conference and has rolled to a four-game win streak. However, this win streak came against poor competition. The underlying flaws of this team, rebounding and transition defense, must be addressed for the Hawks to be competitive in a playoff series.