5. Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta has rid itself of two high-priced injury-prone players in Trae Young and Porzingis. In their place, the Hawks added several veterans who bring stability, shooting, and leadership. The Hawks have won eight of 14 games, including two straight, since trading Young and now sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 26-27. They have a real possibility of moving up to a top-6 seed as they are just four games behind Philadelphia.
Atlanta has a solid starting unit. CJ McCollum has been excellent since coming over from Washington. More importantly, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels have stepped up. Corey Kispert, who has had his moments since joining the Hawks, and Jock Landale, who produced a 26-point and 11-rebound double-double in his season debut last night, join McCullum as the team’s top reserves. Now, if Jonathan Kuminga can consistently play to his potential and Gabe Vincent and Buddy Hield can provide three-point shooting, the Hawks could be a tough out in the playoffs.
