NBA Midseason Grades: Atlanta Receives Multiple New Grades From National Outlets

An annual exercise at this point in the NBA season is to evaluate and grade a team based on how they have performed through the season, relative to expectations. The Atlanta Hawks are an interesting team to grade 44 games into the season. They are only 22-22 and currently in 8th place in the Eastern Conference, but they have outperformed (so far) the expectations that most had for them.

Despite their inconsitencies, the Hawks have shown they can beat the very best teams in the NBA. They have two wins over the Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers, not to mention other teams like the Bucks and the Lakers. Dyson Daniels has emerged as one of the best young defenders in the league, Jalen Johnson has played at an All-Star level for much of the year, and De’Andre Hunter is having the best season of his career. While Atlanta might not be an NBA Finals contender, they are a tough team when fully healthy and could be a threat to win a round in the playoffs.

When it comes to grades, there seems to be a consensus that the Hawks at least deserve a B, and ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave the Hawks a B+:

Preseason projected wins: 36.5
Midseason projected wins: 41.9

Why this grade: “The expectation was the Hawks would be on par with last season’s 36-46 team after breaking up the Dejounte Murray-Trae Young duo. Instead, Atlanta has been even better. Dyson Daniels has excelled replacing Murray, leading the league in steals (3.1 per game), while Jalen Johnson has emerged as a strong No. 2 option on offense.

How they can improve: Get better play from No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher or reduce his role. Risacher has started 37 of the 39 games he has played but is shooting just 28% on 3s. Risacher’s development is important, but the evidence that playing more translates into progress is mixed.”

I think a B+ is fair. The Hawks are not the most consistent team in the league, seemingly alternating between win streaks and losing streaks, but they have shown plenty of promise. They are going to be one of the most interesting teams at the trade deadline due to the possibility of them being either buyers or sellers. Atlanta has the flexibility to be either.

The big question coming out of last night’s loss is the status of Jalen Johnson. Johnson left the game vs the Raptors last night with a shoulder injury and was ruled out quickly. It is hard to overstate how important Johnson is to the team and what an injury would do for the Hawks playoff hopes.

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