Kevin Pelton of ESPN released his preseason predictions yesteray, which had the Atlanta Hawks finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference after their renowned offseason. What is more ridiculous is that the Pacers, Celtics, and Bucks were all projected above Atlanta, despite losing key stars to injuries and offseason moves.
Pelton’s model was highly accurate in predicting last season, but it missed the mark with the Hawks’ projections. In his defense of this position, Pelton argued that the Hawks' offseason was “perhaps not transformative in the short term.” He did concede that he is more confident than the model that the team will avoid the play-in, but he does not expect a top-four finish in the East.