Where Atlanta Hawks Should Finish in Loaded Eastern Conference

The Atlanta Hawks could be one of the best teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference in 2026-27. Where should fans expect them to land? It's not easy to project the NBA standings. Teams surprise us every year — in both directions. There will be teams that exceed expectations and teams that fall short: But where should we expect the Hawks to land? Well, let's look at the field. Two teams stand distinctly above the Hawks: the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. The Knicks are the defending champions, and they're bringing back the bulk of their title-winning core. It would be difficult to make the case that the Hawks should be better. Nothing is certain, but as of this writing, any rational fan would have to put the Knicks over the Hawks. It's a little more complicated with the Pistons. As of now, we don't know whether they'll retain young big man Jalen Duren or not. If they don't, they'll be a weaker team in 2026-27 than they were last year. For argument's sake, let's assume they keep Duren. The rest of their offseason has largely amounted to a lateral move. Wing Tobias Harris and center Isaiah Stewart are out, while forward John Collins and guard Isaiah Joe are in. There's no team that's clearly better than the Hawks. They should be as strong as anybody else: Although, it won't be easy. There's been a lot of movement in the conference this summer. The Philadelphia 76ers have formed a superteam by acquiring superstar wings Jaylen Brown and LeBron James. They'll be formidable, but there are concerns. All of the Sixers' best players need the ball to do what they do best, and unless center Joel Embiid is in peak shape, the team's defense is another question mark. The Sixers landed Brown via the Boston Celtics. They sent veteran wing Paul George, along with draft capital, in the deal. That's a talent downgrade for Boston, but they're almost the inverse of the Sixers. After adding George and center Mitchell Robinson, the Celtics may have put a better-fitting roster around superstar wing Jayson Tatum. Speaking of superstar wings... Kawhi Leonard is expected to head back to the Northeast after the Los Angeles Clippers agreed to trade him to the Toronto Raptors. The deal has not been finalized yet, but Toronto will be a threat if it goes through. So will the Miami Heat after adding superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, although his fit with big man Bam Adebayo and their limited depth could prove challenging. Could the Pacers surge with star point guard Tyrese Haliburton back in the fold? Could the young Orlando Magic figure it out? For now, the Hawks are in the running for the third seed at a baseline level. They should be in the title picture if things break their way. Still, given all the new contenders emerging, it's likely safer to place money on the Hawks finishing fourth if you're so inclined: Although they could definitely surpass those expectations. Best Newest first Oldest first