Atlanta Hawks 2025-26 Season Prediction | Can the Hawks BIG Offseason Result in an NBA Title?
♪ ♪ >> WE ARE BACK HERE ON “HQ SPOTLIGHT” WHERE THE ATLANTA HAWKS ARE DEFINITELY UP THERE AND TERMS OF A CLEAR WINNER OF THE NBA OFF-SEASON. THEY MADE A BIG TRADE FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS AND THE NUMBER 22 PICK IN TERANCE MANN. THINGS GOT BETTER FOR THE HAWKS DURING THE FIRST ROUND OF THE NBA DRAFT. DID THESE NEW AUDITIONS REALLY MAKE THE HAWKS A NEW CONTENDER IN THE EAST? LET’S WELCOME BACK SAM QUINN AND JOHN GONZALEZ. LOOKING AT THESE NEW ADDITIONS HEADING TO ATLANTA BUT ALSO SOME OF THE PIECES THAT THEY DID LOSE A HOW MUCH OF A CONTENDER WILL ATLANTA BE THIS SEASON IN THE EAST? >> I’M GOING TO CALL THEM AND EVERYTHING BREAKS RIGHT INTO DEEPER YOU LOOK AT THE TEAM THAT MADE THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS IN 2021. THE HAWKS WERE NOT THE SECOND BEST TEAM IN THE EAST IN 2021. THE TWO BEST TEAMS IN THE EAST WHERE THE BUCKS AND NETS. THE SIXERS TOTALLY SELF COMBUSTED IN THAT SERIES AGAINST ATLANTA. I THINK IT IS SIMILAR TO THAT WHERE THEY ARE NOT ONE OF THE TWO BEST TEAMS IN THE EAST RIGHT NOW BUT I THINK THEY’RE IN AT FOUR OR FIVE RANGE WHERE IF KRISTAPS PORZINGIS STAYS HEALTHY IF ONE OF THE TEAM AS THEY PLAYING WITH HAS AN INJURY, IF THAT BRACKET BREAKS RIGHT. YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A TEAM THAT COULD MAKE A BIT OF A RUN. THIS ROSTER IS PROBABLY THE BEST ONE TRAE YOUNG HAS EVER HAD. IT JUST MAKES PERFECT SENSE. THEY SPENT YEARS ACCUMULATING ALL OF THESE ATHLETIC DEFENSIVE WINGS TO PUT AROUND TRAE YOUNG TO COVER FOR HIS DEFENSIVE DEFICIENCIES. THE PROBLEM THEY HAD LAST YEAR IS THOSE GUYS COULDN’T SHOOT THERE THEY GO OUT AND GET KRISTAPS PORZINGIS, ONE OF THE BEST SHOOTING CENTERS IN THE NBA. I THINK THAT, THAT IS GREAT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB WITH THE BENCH. REALLY GOOD DEPTH ADDITIONS. THEY CAN SHOOT AS WELL. A■LEXANDER WALKER, A REALLY NICE POINT OF ATTACK TO VENDOR FOR THAT BENCH. I THINK THE RESTAURANT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. THEY ARE NOT QUITE AT THE SUREFIRE CONTENDER LEVEL AT THE KNICKS AND THE CAVS ARE. THEY ARE JUST A TEAR BELOW THAT. THEY GO THAT IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY ARE. EASTERN CONFERENCE YOU’VE GOT TO GO TEAMS THAT ARE PRETTY CLEARLY ABOVE EVERYBODY ELSE IN CAVS AND THE KNICKS. THERE IS A GRAB BAG OF TEAMS AND WITH THE MAGIC OF THE PISTONS AND A SOX WHERE YOU GO, MAYBE THEY COULD BE AS HIGH AS THE 3C. I AM HIGHER THAN SAM IS ON THEM. IF EVERYTHING BREAKS RIGHT IF EVERYBODY STAYS HEALTHY COULD BE IN THE MIX TOWARD THE TEAMS FIGHTING RIGHT BEHIND THE CAVS AND THE KNICKS. I LOVE THE ADDITION OF KRISTAPS PORZINGIS. THE MOST COVETED FREE AGENT, THEY GRAB HIM. LOOK FOR AN ART IT GIVES THEM REALLY GOOD SHOOTING. WE ALSO HAVE DYSON DANIELS WHO MADE ALL THE EVENTS. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT TRAE YOUNG. THAT’S A REALLY GOOD GROUP. ON TOP OF THAT, JAYLON JOHNSON COMES BACK. THEY GET HIM BACK FOR NOTHING FOR THE CASUALS OUT THERE. JAYLON JOHNSON IS THE BEST PLAYER ON THAT TEAM. HE WAS HAVING WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A CAREER YEAR LAST YEAR BEFORE HE GOT SHUT DOWN. THEY GET HIM BACK AND THROW HIM TO THE MIX. YOUR STARTING FIVE WHEN YOU ADD IN KRISTAPS PORZINGIS, THAT IS A REALLY FORMIDABLE GROUP. QUIN SNYDER HAS A LOT TO WORK WITH. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE SEASON. >> IN ADDITION, THE HAWKS MADE A BIG SPLASH THIS UPCOMING — THIS RECENT NBA DRAFT I SHOULD SAY. NOW THAT SOME OF THE GUEST CONCLUDED, HOW MUCH IN THE STOCK OF FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK REALLY RISE? >> THE HAWKS REALLY LOVE THEIR BOUNCY ATHLETIC FORWARDS. I DON’T EXPECT HIM TO PLAY A HUGE ROLE THIS YEAR. THE HAWKS KIND OF DO THIS. WHEN THEY DRAFTED JALEN JOHNSON AND IT WAS SIMILAR. HE BARELY PLAYED AS A ROOKIE AND PLACE 5 MINUTES A GAME. BY HIS THIRD SEASON, HE’S IN THE ROTATION MAKING A BIG IMPACT. I THINK THAT’S GOING TO BE THE IDEA. THEY HAVE SO MUCH DEPTH AT FORWARD THAT THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO USE THEM TOO MUCH AS A ROOKIE. HE IS ATHLETIC. IF HIS SHOT COMES ALONG, HE CAN SLIDE NICELY INTO THE POWER FORWARD ROTATION. HE’S A NICE FIT NEXT TO KRISTAPS PORZINGIS. MORE LIMITED IN HIS MOBILITY AT THIS POINT. HE HAD A NICE SUMMER LEAGUE. THERE’S A LOT TO BUILD ON. HE’S MORE OF A DEVELOPMENTAL PROJECT. I WOULD NOT SLIDE HIM INTO THE ROTATION YET. HE HAS THE ATHLETIC TRAITS TO FIT IN REALLY NICELY WITH THE OTHER BIG WINGS AND FORWARDS THAT THEY HAVE. >> THEY DON’T NEED HIM TO. THEY DON’T REALLY NEED HIM TO BE IN THE ROTATION. THAT IS OKAY. THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE THIS OFF-SEASON. THEY HAVE BUILT A REALLY SOLID GROUP THAT HAS DESIGNS ON BEING IN THAT THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE MIX IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO BRING HIM ALONG QUICKLY. ALSO, THIS SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE OFF-SEASON AND THAT THIS FRONT OFFICE, THIS NEW REVAMPED FRONT OFFICE HAS HAD WHERE PREVIOUSLY, THE HAWKS HAVE BEEN SORT OF A DISASTER IN THE FRONT OFFICE AND AT THE VERY LEAST SOME INCONSISTENT. THEY REVAMPED THIS OFF-SEASON AND BRING IN OZZIE SOLEIL TO RUN IN THE SHOW AND BRANDON GRAHAM FROM THE PELICANS. DARYL MOREY’S CHIEF ANALYTICS GOT IN PHILADELPHIA. JUST THREE REALLY SMART GUYS THAT DECIDED, WE CAN MOVE BACK FROM TO 23 AND TAKE HIM. FOR OUR TROUBLES, THE PELICANS WHO HAS BEEN OUT OF THE GAME FOR A WHILE ARE GOING TO FORK OVER AN UNPROTECTED FIRST-ROUND PICK IN 2026 THAT IS THE BETTER OF THE PELICANS OR THE BUCKS TEAM IS LIKE A STRUGGLE THIS SEASON. YES, PLEASE COME AND THANK YOU BEAUTIFUL MARKS TO THOSE GUYS. >> WITH ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, IT SEEMS LIKE ANYTHING LESS THAN AN A GRADE FOR THE HAWKS THIS OFF-SEASON WOULD BE DISRESPECTFUL. >> YEAH, THEY ARE IN A PLUS FOR ME. IT’S A NO-BRAINER. WE TALKED HOW GOOD THIS TEAM IS ON THE COURT. THE PICK JOHN MENTION IS THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS. IN MY OPINION, THAT IS ONE OF THE BEST FIRST ROUND PICKS IT HAS EVER BEEN TRADED. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THESE UNPROTECTED PICKS THEY GET TRADED, THEY ARE USUALLY FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OUT. THERE IS UPSIDE BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THE TEAM IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. THE PELICANS HAVE THE FOURTH WORST RECORD IN THE NBA. IF THEY DO THAT AGAIN, THEY MIGHT BE HANDING THE HAWKS ONE OF THE HIGHEST MIX IN THE NEXT YEAR’S DRAFT. THERE ARE SEVERAL SUPERSTAR CALIBERS PROSPECTS WHETHER IT IS CAM BOOSER, KAREN PETERSON, THE HAWKS MIGHT GET THEIR NEXT FRANCHISE PLAYER FROM THAT TRADE AND ALL COST AND WAS MOVING DOWN TEN SPOTS. IF YOU THROW IN THAT PICK WITH ALL OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THEY’VE MADE ON THE COURT, IT IS AN A+, NO TEAM IN THE ENTIRE NBA HAD A BETTER OFF-SEASON THAN THEY DID. >> SAM IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I THREW A A AT THEM. THEY SCOOP UP KRISTAPS KRISTAPS PORZINGIS. THE MOST COVETED FREE AGENT AND LUKE KINARD SHOOTING. TEAM WISE, TEAM BUILDING WISE FOR THIS YEAR, THAT IS REALLY TIDY BUSINESS. WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS PICK. SAM IS RIGHT. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE PICKS THAT’S EVER BEEN TRADED. THAT MEME WHERE HE HAS THE TWO PHONES TO HIS FACE, THESE GUYS CANNOT WAIT TO ANSWER THE CALL WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT JOE DUMARS WAS DANGLING THAT PICK. THE PELICANS, THERE IS A NONZERO CHANCE THAT THEY HAVE A BAD YEAR THIS YEAR. THEY TRADED UP TO GET DURING QUEEN. THEY DON’T HAVE DEJOUNTE MURRAY FOR A WHILE BECAUSE HE IS RECOVERING FROM AN ACHILLES INJURY. JORDAN POOLE IS SHOOTING SHOTS ALL OVER THE PLACE. IN A LOADED WESTERN CONFERENCE, IT WILL BE TOUGH SLEDDING FOR THEM. YOU’VE GOT THE BUCKS ON THE OTHER SIDE. IS HE GOING TO EVENTUALLY ASK OUT? THEY SIGNED MYLES TURNER. I’M NOT IN LOVE WITH THAT TEAM AT ALL. THE HAWKS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE EXCITED TO LAND THAT PICK. FULL MARKS FOR THIS SEASON AND FOR MOVING FORWARD. I LOVE THAT NEW FRONT OFFICE. ADD THAT PLUS ON THERE FOR ME. >> LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT THE FRONT OFFICE MOVED OUT THE HAWKS MADE THIS OFF-SEASON. WHAT CONTRIBUTED MOST TO THE HAWKS FRONT OFFICE AT CHURCH ABINGTON SPOTS IN YOUR RECENT RANKINGS? >> THE HAWKS BEFORE THIS CHANGE WERE KIND OF A MESS. THEY WERE ALL THESE RUMORS ABOUT WHO IS MAKING THE DECISIONS. IS IT LANDRY FIELDS WHO IS THE GM OR NICK RUSSELL OR WHO IS THE SON OF THE OWNER? HOW MUCH SAY THIS NICK SNYDER HAVE? WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HIERARCHY IS, IT’S HARD TO EVALUATE A FRONT OFFICE. YOU DON’T KNOW WHO IS MAKING THE DECISION OR WIDE. THEY HAVE NAILED EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DONE. THE PORZINGIS TRADE WAS AN ABSOLUTE WIN. PROBABLY THE MOST COVETED FREE AGENT ON THE ENTIRE MARKET. THAT DRAFT PICK TRADE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF OR THEY HAVE GOTTEN EVERYTHING RIGHT. IT’S A SHORT TRACK RECORD. IT IS ONE OFF-SEASON. THAT IS WHY THEY ONLY MOVED UP TO 16 IN MY FRONT OFFICE RANKINGS. IF THEY KEEP THIS UP, THEY WILL BE IN THE TOP TEN BEFORE LONG. WE DO THESE RANKINGS TWICE A YEAR. THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO RISE UP QUICKLY. I LOVE EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID. THE FRONT OFFICE SUDDENLY MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE. DURING FAR LESS ABOUT THE INTERNAL ASCENSION OF WHO IS MAKING THIS DECISION. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE’S PRETTY CLEAR ALIGNMENT. THEY ARE ALL OF THE SAME PAGE AND NEIL THIS OFF-SEASON. >> IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE SET THEMSELVES UP IN A GOOD POSITION TO MAKE A RUN. WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR THE SEASON? >> IS GOING BE FUN FOR SURE. THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE TOP OF MY LEAGUE PASS RANKINGS. WE SHOULD DO THAT ON CBSSports.com. AFTER THAT CAVS AND THE KNICKS, THERE’S THREE TEAMS THAT ARE IN FIGHTING CONTENTION FOR THE THREE, FOUR, 5C. WE HAVE THE MAGIC IN THE PISTONS. THEY ADD DESMOND BANE, THE PISTONS LAST YEAR WITH CADE CUNNINGHAM MAKING HIS FIRST ALL NBA TEAM, THEY COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY GOT OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND IF SOMETHING’S HAD BOUNCED RIGHT FOR THEM AGAINST THE KNICKS. YOU HAVE THE HAWKS WHO ARE REALLY SMART AND PROFESSIONAL AND BUILDING THEIR TEAM. I HAVE THE HAWKS AHEAD OF TEAMS LIKE THE SIXERS WHOSE NAME I HESITATE TO MENTION, THE PACERS WHO LOST TYRESE HALIBURTON. IN ALL THESE OTHER TEAMS. THEY ARE IN THE GRAB BAG OF TEAMS GOING OUT WITH PUT THEM FORTH AND SAY THEY AT LEAST WIN A ROUND. IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME IF THEY FINISHED TH THIRD AND MAKE THINS DIFFICULT AND EVEN MAY BE POTENTIALLY PACERS-LIKE RUN TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. SOUTHERLY FORTH IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE AND WINNING AROUND. I WONDER WHY SAM DOES NOT LIKE THEM AS MUCH AS I DO. >> I KNOW THEY HAVE SUCKED ALL THE JOY OUT OF YOUR LIFE. THE PHILADELPHIA 76ers ARE GOOD. I HAVE THEM AS THE NUMBER 4 SEED IN THE EAST AND THE HAWKS AT NUMBER FIVE AND PACING UP IN THE FIRST ROUND. THE REVENGE SERIES FROM 4 YEARS AGO, I HAVE THE 76ers BEATING THE HAWKS IN THE FIRST ROUND. AS WE COVERED, THE 76ers ARE KIND OF A RISKY BET. THEY’RE INJURY HISTORY IS SCARY. IF THAT IS INDEED THE MATCH UP THE ATLANTIC AT WIN AND BECAUSE JOEL EMBIID MIGHT NOT PLAY THE WHOLE SERIES. HE MIGHT GET HURT IN THE REGULAR SEASON. THERE ARE SCENARIOS WHERE ATLANTA GOES DEEP INTO THE PLAYOFFS. I HAVE PHILLY AT NUMBER FOUR, ATLANTA AND NUMBER FIVE AND PHILLY EVENT SERIES. >> THE DISRESPECT ISRAEL COMING FROM YOU, SAM QUINN. YOU ARE DOING SO WELL AT THE TOP OF THE SEGMENT. INCREDIBLE INSIGHT AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE ATLANTA HAWKS CAN DO IT IS THIS UPCOMING NBA SEASON AS YOU TAKE A LOOK ACCORDING TO ODDSMAKERS WITH THE BEST ODDS TO WIN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE, ENTERING THIS UPCOMING SEASON, THE CAVALIERS UP THERE AT THE TOP WITH PLUS 250. SOME PLAYERS ARE THERE AT PLUS 270. AT PLUS 95
John Gonzalez and Sam Quinn join CBS Sports HQ Spotlight to discuss the Atlanta Hawks offseason and preview their 2025-26 season.
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