Atlanta, GA
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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Atlanta, GA
Titans Take Falcons Star in Re-Draft

The Tennessee Titans could have taken a quarterback in the stacked 2024 NFL Draft class.
Instead, they chose Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham, which filled a big need for the Titans offensive line. Tennessee drafted Will Levis in the second round a year prior, so it wasn’t a likelihood for Tennessee to take a quarterback in back-to-back years.
However, the Titans should have considered taking a quarterback after Levis flopped in his second season. Tennessee is trying to correct its error by taking Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
In a 2024 re-draft exercise from Bleacher Report writer Kristopher Knox, the Titans take Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was taken No. 8 overall right behind Latham.
“Last April, the Tennessee Titans were still hoping that 2023 second-round pick Will Levis could be their quarterback of the future. They hired an offensive coach in Brian Callahan and used the seventh overall pick on Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham,” Knox wrote.
“Levis actually regressed in his second season, which led to Tennessee using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft on Cam Ward. Meanwhile, Latham was decidedly average as a rookie. Pro Football Focus ranked him 70th overall among 140 offensive tackles.”
“With the benefit of hindsight in tow, the Titans instead use this selection on Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Penix spent much of his rookie campaign backing up Kirk Cousins for the Atlanta Falcons. However, he had some impressive moments once he finally got on the field.”
“Does Ward have a higher ceiling than Penix? Perhaps. But taking the latter would free up the Titans to take an elite prospect like Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter at the top of the 2025 draft.”
The Titans may come to regret taking Levis in 2023 and not taking Penix or another quarterback in 2024, but they are trying to move on from the past and focus on the future.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
Atlanta, GA
Florida State lands a commitment from Atlanta DL Wihtlley Cadeau

On the official visit to Florida State, Wihtlley Cadeau got that feeling. He knew he had an interest in the Seminoles. He knew the school was high on his list. But after being on campus for about 24 hours, he knew it was where he wanted to be.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive lineman was offered by Florida State in May and things took off from there.
“I committed to Florida State,” Cadeau told On3.
Other schools like Georgia State, Georgia Tech and Purdue were in contention, but he saw what he was looking for in Tallahassee.
“I love the history behind Florida State. The coaching staff is great too. I have a lot of love for them. The environment and the players fit me too.”
Lawrence Smith took over at Washington High earlier this spring and has enjoyed working with the new commit the last few weeks.
“I love that Wihtlley has kept an open mind when it comes to learning what it takes to be the best he can be,” Smith said. “He has been working really hard on making his weaknesses become strengths and being a better leader. He is always a happy and positive person and genuinely enjoys playing the game of football.”
Atlanta, GA
PHOTOS: Trees come crashing down during severe thunderstorms across metro Atlanta

As severe weather rocked the South this weekend, the metro Atlanta area wasn’t spared. Thunderstorms even brought trees down across Georgia.
Here’s a look at some of the storm damage in our viewing area:
A tree also came down on the tracks, deenergizing the third rail between the Medical Center and Dunwoody MARTA stations. For now, there’s a bus bridge in effect from Medical Center to Sandy Springs until the tree can be moved. There are also delays on the Red line, according to a spokesperson from MARTA.
If you have pictures or video of storm damage in your area, you can submit them for consideration through the FOX 5 Weather app or email them to newstipsatlanta@fox.com.
The Source: These images were either supplied by FOX 5 Atlanta viewers who submitted them through the FOX 5 Storm Team app, or by FOX 5 Atlanta photojournalists.
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