Channing Frye and others members of the "Road Trippin' Show" seem to have high hopes for the Hawks this season.
The Atlanta Hawks continue to attract positive buzz ahead of the 2026-27 season after a busy summer.
During an episode of the "Road Trippin' Show," the podcast crew made predictions for the Eastern Conference standings this coming season, and retired NBA champion Channing Frye described Atlanta as his "sleeper."
"My sleeper, Atlanta at (No.) 4," he said, predicting a finish that would give the Hawks home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The other members of the podcast crew who made predictions also had Atlanta at No. 4 or higher, with fellow NBA champion-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins even predicting a third-place finish for the Hawks.
Atlanta is becoming a popular pick to sneak up on teams in the Eastern Conference this season. Last week, Bleacher Report tabbed the team as a "dark horse" to earn the No. 1 seed in what many think will be a very tricky conference.
Speaking to Hawks Roundtable not long ago, one NBA executive described Atlanta's offseason as "terrific" and specifically mentioned the team's wing additions.
Since being eliminated in the first round last season, the Hawks have added Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, Ryan Nembhard and others. This was Atlanta's first time entering an offseason with star forward Jalen Johnson as its clear centerpiece, giving the team a chance to bring in some nice pieces around him.
The same executive who praised Atlanta's offseason also said that Johnson could become a superstar if he develops a consistent jumper. That will be one key to watch moving forward for the Hawks, who will need another big season from the 24-year-old if they hope to live up to some of the buzz they're getting.
Last season, Johnson really put himself on the map as a star by averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and 35.2 percent shooting from deep. He was named an All-Star and took home All-NBA Third Team honors.
The Hawks did lose some contributors this offseason but didn't have to deal with any back-breaking departures. Atlanta is looking to build off its trip to the playoffs last season, when it was the only team in the league to push the New York Knicks to six games in a series.
Even though the Hawks are still in a bit of a transition right now after moving on from the Trae Young era, there are lots of reasons to be excited about where the organization is headed, and it's leading to praise and optimism from people around the basketball world.
