Atlanta Ranks Bottom in B/R’s Future Power Rankings

The Atlanta Hawks had a lucky break last Sunday when they were able to shockingly win the 2024 NBA Draft lottery. Atlanta was expected to pick at the back of the lottery, but they climbed all the way to the No. 1, adding another layer of intrigue to what should already be a busy offseason. How much did winning the NBA Draft Lottery change Atlanta’s future outlook? In a recently released future power rankings list, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey doesn’t think the Hawks’ future is very bright, ranking them 22nd in the future power rankings:

Landing the first pick in the lottery is nice, but it almost feels bad that the Hawks got it this year.

“Several veteran NBA executives are saying the same thing about this draft,” wrote veteran journalist Jeff Goodman. “This is the worst draft they’ve ever seen.”

This limits Atlanta on several fronts. If reports of this class’s weakness are true, there may not be a short-term difference maker available with the top pick. It could also mean this pick won’t mean much in potential trade deals.

Still, the appeal of No. 1, in any year, is better than No. 10 (where Atlanta was before the lottery). And that’s enough to gently push this team a spot or two in the standings.

Right now, the Hawks have two dynamic guards, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, who just don’t get along well. Moving one of them and rebalancing the roster a bit could bolster the team’s depth and breadth of assets.

There is still development to come for Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter as well. Add this theoretical trade and Bogdan Bogdanović to the mix, and it’s easy to see this team fighting for a playoff spot next year.

However, much more than that seems like overkill. “

I would disagree with this for several reasons. I think Young is a much better player and isn’t respected enough around the league, but I also think this draft is better than some suggest. Is there a undoubtedly superstar/All-NBA player? I doubt it, but there are a lot of talented players who would be great complementary pieces on a team, especially if the Hawks decide to take Alex Sarr.

If Atlanta decides to keep Young and trade Murray, they would gain some good assets to build a trio of Young, Jalen Johnson and Sarr, which could make them a good playoff team if they build the rest of the roster correctly .

The Hawks’ future is uncertain, but I’d say it’s brighter than some other teams in the league. They are still a young team (no pun intended) and could still add to it.