This is the fifth and final of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The final question: what is your regular season record prediction for the Hawks this season and where do they finish in the Eastern Conference?
Wes: My prediction may seem a tad pessimistic, but I have misgivings about the top end offensive talent on this roster. If Jalen Johnson doesn’t take another step, to me this might just be an average offense that
struggles against top end teams.
Having said that, there’s a great chance this is an elite defensive unit with perimeter defenders for days. I think the Hawks will be able to grind out a 43-39 record in super deep Eastern Conference and land the 7th overall seed, placing them in pole position to advance to the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament.
Garrett: I have the Hawks going 48–34 and finishing as a top-six seed. There will still be growing pains, particularly when the offense slows down, but I expect this group to win enough games to earn a playoff spot without going through the play-in.
Graham: The Eastern Conference got better, there’s no question about it. Teams that finished below the Hawks last year include the Sixers, Heat, Magic, and Pacers; they all stand to be significantly better this season (other than, perhaps, Orlando). And when you look at the teams who finished above the Hawks – the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Raptors – the only teams you could say may drop below the Hawks are the Pistons, and the Raptors (if Kawhi Leonard doesn’t play many games). In saying that, the Hawks also improved. I think the Hawks can win 46-50 games this season, so I’m going to predict a 47 win season and finish 6th in the Eastern Conference.
I’m leaning towards 47-35 because I expect the bottom teams in the East will want/need to win more games to avoid the NBA Draft relegation zone, so those teams who the Hawks picked off at the back-end of last season may not come as easy this time around. Nevertheless, I think 46 wins and sixth in an improved East would be a very impressive season – this Eastern Conference is stacked, and the Hawks are one of those teams who will showcase that depth this season.
Malik: Even though my bold was that the Hawks finish as a top-2 seed, realistically, I think they’ll finish 47-35. There’s no doubt that they got better this season, but the Eastern Conference got better as well. There’ll be no days off for any team, and they’re going to have to bring their best every night. The Hawks finished sixth last season, and the teams above them got better, as well as some of the teams that were below them.
It’s hard to tell if 47 wins will actually be enough to get into the top-six, but it should be, and the Hawks should find themselves in the playoffs for the second straight season.
