Atlanta Hawks
Preseason Odds: Championship +8000
The Atlanta Hawks have a lot to prove this season following a disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs last season, after having made the conference finals two seasons ago. In preparation for the 2022-2023 season, the team has signed star guard Dejounte Murray, and expectations are high as everyone looks to see how point guard Trae Young and Murray will combine.
Murray’s signing could relieve Young of his ball-handling duties and give him more freedom to work off the ball and probably become a more prolific scorer (not like he isn’t one already). But we could see a different and more dangerous Trae Young next season; Atlanta’s success will significantly depend on him for sure.
The Hawks are expected to make the playoffs again (as they have done in the last two seasons). However, they remain outsiders for the Championship as they lack the squad depth to compete with the favorites, and NBA betting markets will likely offer fairly long odds on an outright win.
With a 43-39 record last season, the Hawks finished 9th in the Eastern Conference. They had to participate in the play-in tournament, where they beat the Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Cavaliers to advance to the playoffs. They lost to the Miami Heat 4-1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, the Hawks have improved relatively in the last two seasons, considering they missed the playoffs consecutively before then. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021 and will need to rediscover that form if they hope to reach that round again and even win the championship.
The Atlanta Hawks, also known as “The Hawks,” currently play in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The team has relocated five times. Established in 1946 in New York as the Buffalo Bisons, they moved to Illinois and were renamed the Tri-Cities Blackhawks. In 1951, the team moved to Milwaukee and became the Milwaukee Hawks.
After that, the team moved again to St. Louis (as the St. Louis Hawks), where they notably won their only NBA Championship in 1958. They enjoyed their most success in St. Louis, as that is where they also made all their NBA finals appearances so far.
The Hawks moved to Atlanta in 1968, where they are to date. The team presently owns an unwanted record as the team with the second-longest drought (only behind the Sacramento Kings) of not winning an NBA Championship at 63 seasons.
The Hawks have an interesting Rivalry against the Boston Celtics as they faced them on all four trips to the NBA finals in 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1961.
They have had notable names on their roster, including Hall of Famers like Bob Pettit, Dikembe Mutombo, and Dominique Wilkins. Currently, they have two All-Stars in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
