NBA Power Rankings Preseason Edition: Lakers moves lead the way

Last Season: 41-31, 5th in Eastern Conference

The Atlanta Hawks made “the leap” last season, not only in terms of regular season record but also winning their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Trae Young might still cause significant defensive questions but his offense, leadership and swagger are all superstar-worthy. This guy is the real deal, and the Hawks are right to build around him.

The tricky part about maximizing the offseason was that they already had a deep, young, versatile team built around him, with plenty of options on the wing. They re-signed John Collins, inked Young to a max extension and drafted Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper in the NBA Draft, both of whom look to be excellent values where they were selected.

Key Offseason Move: Trading for Delon Wright. The Hawks’ only true weakness on their roster was at backup point guard. Last offseason the team signed Rajon Rondo and Kris Dunn to fill that role, but Rondo was a disaster and Dunn was injured nearly the entire year. This summer the Hawks decided to attack that weakness and turn it into a strength.

Lou Williams was brought back after he was a trade deadline addition, but he is a very specific type of player for specific situations. They drafted Sharife Cooper, an elite-passing guard who needs to develop as a scorer and shooter. Finally, they traded for Delon Wright, a 6’5″ point guard with stout defensive skills but more offense than Dunn brought. Wright now headlines a deep bench backcourt, that also likely includes Kevin Huerter at the 2.