The NBA Eastern Conference could belong to anyone in 2025-26.
Yes, certain teams are favorites to win it all, but everyone agrees that the conference is wide open after injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Andy Bailey ranked the teams as if the season were starting today.
He had nice things to say about the Atlanta Hawks, who were No. 17 on this list last year but landed at No. 13 this time.
“If there was a ‘we thought they would be better’ award, the Atlanta Hawks would be in the hunt just about every year, so we have to approach this slide with a bit of caution. They’ve made that difficult, though, by Kristaps Porziņģis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a team that already has Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, as well as a possible developmental leap on the way for Zaccharie Risacher. The ideal roster around Young would likely include loads of length, defense and shooting, and this one now has it. In an injury-weakened East, Atlanta should push for a top-six finish,” Bailey wrote.
The Hawks have indeed been very busy this summer.
Their additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker were definitely exciting, but that may be only the tip of the iceberg for this team.
There is hope that the trio of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Dyson Daniels will continue to develop together.
On top of that, people are expecting more growth from young star Zaccharie Risacher.
This team has been flirting with being great for a few years, and some fans believe this will be the season that they take the next step and climb to a higher level.
With the Eastern Conference suffering such major injuries and the Hawks making some smart, strategic moves, now is the time to be confident in this team.
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