Atlanta was expected to drop out of contention this season, due to the loss via free agency of Al Horford and the trade of Jeff Teague. Instead, they have pushed themselves into a comfortable position among Eastern Conference playoff teams. Barring a collapse, they could well be the Raptors’ first-round opponent. I mention “collapse”, because the Hawks did just that early. After flying off to a 9-2 start, they came back to earth in a hurry, losing 10 of 11.
The Hawks’ roster has been in extreme flux even after their eventful summer. Kyle Korver was moved to the Cavaliers, who clearly don’t have enough strong players, so needed another.