5 NBA teams primed to see big increases in win totals for 2022-23

5. Atlanta Hawks are in win-now mode after a franchise-altering off-season.

2021-22 win total: 43 wins

The Atlanta Hawks took a step back last season, barely making the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and getting bounced in the first round by the Miami Heat. Expectations were high after Trae Young and the Hawks made it to the Conference Finals during the 2020–21 season.

In an effort to avoid a similar fate in 2022–23, Atlanta has pushed all their chips to the middle of the table, giving up three first-round picks between 2023 and 2027 and a pick swap in 2026 to San Antonio in exchange for Dejounte Murray.

The All-Star guard will join Trae Young to form an elite backcourt that will complement each other on both ends of the court. But the big moves didn’t end with Murray. The front office made moves to acquire brothers Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday, plus rotation players Maurice Harkless and Frank Kaminsky.

This team appears to have the right pieces in place, but can they figure things out quickly? The path to success will be a little easier thanks to Trae Young, who was among the NBA’s leaders in points per game and assists per game last year. This front office didn’t mortgage the future to fight for another spot in the Play-In tournament. The Atlanta Hawks are going to be a much better team in 2022–23.