The Atlanta Hawks were the only team to truly give the defending champion New York Knicks a run for their money in the playoffs this past season, holding a 2-1 lead at one point.
That same nucleus is set to return next season and is set to add a new name to the mix. One that has helped a team win a championship as recently as 2025.
Atlanta acquired Lu Dort in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder during the offseason, beefing up its perimeter defense with Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu in the mix.
CJ McCollum doesn’t offer much in the way of defense but proved he can still be counted on with the ball in his hands, especially during crunch time.
McCollum really helped the Hawks turn their season around after Atlanta traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards, guiding them to a 19-3 stretch from February to April.
Johnson really grew his offensive game last season, proving he can go get a bucket himself, especially in driving situations.
Johnson probably won’t morph into a Kevin Durant-esque scorer next season, but if he can at least improve his ability to hit pullup jumpers and continue to put pressure on the rim, that could really help open up his all-around offensive game and create open looks for his teammates.
Alexander-Walker will also need to sustain his breakout performance from last season, but he mostly excels as a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist, though he can sprinkle in the occasional drive and finish and pullup jumper.
The Hawks have three capable 20 point per game scorers, but their winning formula next season is going to come from their defense.
Atlanta’s size and length on the perimeter made life difficult for Jalen Brunson at times in the first round. Adding Dort to that mix could only make life even more difficult for guards of Brunson’s stature.
The Hawks’ defense has all of the intangibles to wreak absolute havoc at the point of attack and in full court pressure situations. They’ll likely be throwing double teams, blitzes and hedges at will, which should create plenty of turnovers and help the Hawks put up points on the board in transition.
Do the Hawks have enough to get to the NBA Finals? Probably not. But this group gives them a legitimate chance to strike legitimate fear against some of the contenders of the Eastern Conference.
