The Atlanta Hawks have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks will start CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu this season.
NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report believes Atlanta has the 10th-best starting lineup in the league.
Atlanta lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games, but remember, the Hawks were the only team to beat the Knicks twice in the 2026 postseason.
That shows how good the Hawks will be moving forward.
Atlanta's future is led by Johnson, who had a terrific 2025-26 season for the Hawks. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the field, 35.2% from beyond the arc and 78.8% from the free-throw line. The Duke product recorded 49 double-doubles and 13 triple-doubles in 72 games.
The 24-year-old Johnson made his first All-Star and All-NBA team last season. The swingman made the All-NBA Third Team.
As long as he continues to improve each summer, the sky is the limit for Johnson, who averaged 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game in the 2026 playoffs.
Johnson's 13 triple-doubles last season set the Hawks franchise record. He thrived as a playmaker and finisher in Atlanta's up-tempo attack and helped lead the franchise to its most wins since the 2015-16 season.
Johnson enters this upcoming season with career averages of 14.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Atlanta's core moving forward is Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, McCollum, Johnson, Daniels, Alexander-Walker and Okongwu.
The Hawks haven't won a playoff series since 2021. For that to change in 2027, Johnson has to be a consistent threat from deep.
How good is Johnson? Last season, he became the fifth player in league history to put up a season in which he averaged at least 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. The other four players on that list? NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokic, Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.
That's amazing company to be in for Johnson.
The Hawks went 46-36 and won the Southeast Division last season. They begin the 2026-27 season on the road against the Orlando Magic on October 21. That should be a fun game, as we get to see Johnson go up against Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero.
Atlanta was sixth in the NBA in points per game and 18th in points per game allowed last season. Let's see what those ranks are this season in Year 5 of the Quin Snyder era.
