The Atlanta Hawks are in a position nobody could have predicted a year ago, or even three months ago, as the team was ranked as the fifth best team in the league in The Athletic’s preseason power rankings. This fifth place ranking qualified for the tier of “top contenders” for the 2026 Finals.
This is a shock to even the biggest Hawks fans, who have been vocal about the importance of managing expectations with all the uncertainty surrounding the team. Law Murray, the mind behind the rankings, used the radically different approach of “relentless aggression” when crafting his list.
Undeterred by the Young's unproven track record as the leader of a championship team and the fit of the new pieces, Murray’s gut allowed Atlanta to soar up the board, rising eight spots from last year’s 13th ranking. The Hawks are notably the second-highest ranked team in the East, firmly above two teams always ranked above the Hawks: the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic.
Atlanta’s elite supporting cast will drive of their postseason chances
Murray prefaced his section on Atlanta with the qualifier that he is usually not a fan of teams led by “defenseless small guards” like Trae Young. Nonetheless, Young’s supporting cast is so impressive that Murray can look past Young’s individual limitations as the leader of the team.
Murray is excited to see the frontcourt duo of Jalen Johnson and Kristaps Porzingis in action, noting they have the potential to form an elite two way, two-headed monster at the four and five. Their strengths and weaknesses perfectly overlap to create one of the scariest big man duos in the league.
Behind the Hawks’ big three is a group of exciting young players and established role players whose best days are still ahead. Dyson Daniels is the perfect compliment to Young’s offensively dominant playstyle, and Zaccharie Risacher is a high ceiling role player with the potential to develop into a true star if the self-creation he flashed in EuroBasket and preseason is real.
Onyeka Okongwu is the best backup center in the league, and he’s accompanied by the stablizing presence of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard, who are close to reaching “veteran” status. These eight players form one of the most dangerous playoff rotations in the league, assuming good health.
While good health is a big assumption to make on a team heavily reliant on Porzingis and Johnson, the Hawks benefit from being in the weakest Eastern Conference this decade. The team doesn’t need them to be healthy throughout the season; they just need the fragile frouncourt pair to survive to the playoffs, where the team can make a sixteen-game push for a title.