The Atlanta Hawks landed at the bottom spot on NBA.com Power Rankings released on Tuesday.
NBA.com writer John Schuhmann gave the Hawks the No. 30 spot after Atlanta finished last season 43-39 and lost key players like Paul Millsap and Dwight Howard.
The main question Schuhmann asked is will the Hawks play for the future under new general manager Travis Schlenk?
“The Hawks could have five first round picks over the next two drafts, and the best of the five will likely be their own,” Schuhmann wrote. “Their 23-year-olds returning starters - Dennis Schroder and Taurean Prince - will continue to get plenty of playing time, but throwing No. 19 pick John Collins (who turns 20 next month) into the fire early (at the expense of a bunch of veteran bigs) could be an important long-term play.”
Schuhmann wrote the good news for the Hawks is since they scored 101 points per 100 possessions after the All-Star break last season — the worst in the league— they can’t possibly play worse on offense.
Schuhmann's full rankings can be read on NBA.com.
