After first-round elimination by the New York Knicks, the Atlanta Hawks need shooting from Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, more size, and lottery luck.
Well, folks, it's over. The Atlanta Hawks have officially been eliminated from the NBA playoffs. Take some time to mourn, but not too much.
This was a successful season for the organization. If they'd taken a step back after trading Trae Young, it would have been understandable. Instead, they took a step forward. The Hawks played the best basketball they've played in years after this year's All-Star break.
Now, they have something to build on. Next year, the bar will be higher. The Hawks should be looking to make a deep playoff run in 2026-27:
Here are three keys to the season that could allow that to happen.
1. Shooting development
Let's start with a broad one. The Hawks could use better shooting from a pair of their best players.
It starts with Jalen Johnson. His offensive production against the Knicks declined from his regular-season standard. If he'd shot better than 29.0% from deep, it would have opened up other offensive opportunities for the young wing.
The same could be said for Dyson Daniels. He hit 28.6% of his triples in this series. Since both Johnson and Daniels are high-minute players for the Hawks, that's not going to fly in the postseason.
They both need to improve from a distance. A small leap from Daniels, and a larger one from the higher-usage Johnson would go a long way. If the Hawks can get better shooting from the duo in 2026-27, the sky is the limit.
2. Size acquisition
Missing shots is problematic, but if you're able to collect those shots, it offsets the issue. Unfortunately, the Hawks struggled there as well.
They had a 44.6 Rebound Percentage to the Knicks' 55.4%. The Knicks dominated the glass. That's partly a product of the Hawks' lack of center depth. The undersized Onyeka Onkongwu can be exploited.
That's not to say the Hawks should move Onkongwu. He makes up for his shorter size with switchability and floor spacing. Moreover, it's possible that the Hawks would have fared better if Jock Landale had been available.
Perhaps it's simply a matter of Landale's return. Alternatively, a viable third-string big man could be beneficial. Broadly speaking, the Hawks should beef up to some extent this summer.
3. Lottery luck
The Hawks are in a great position. Not only are they a team on the rise, but they're set to add a lottery player via the New Orleans Pelicans.
Will they crack the day-one rotation? Who knows? We've seen the Hawks struggle to find minutes for Zaccharie Risacher, but to be fair, Risacher hasn't been especially effective.
One way or another, whether it's AJ Dybansta or Aday Mara, it's fair to say that adding a high draft pick will be a key variable in 2026-27. Even if the Hawks trade their pick, the luckier they get, the more value the pick will have. They shouldn't draft for win-now success at the expense of potential, but adding a blue-chip rookie to the roster will be critical, one way or another:
But for now, fans should take a moment to reflect on the season that just ended.