Where does Atlanta start in the 2024-2025 NBA Power Rankings too early?

The 2023-2024 NBA season is now in the books after last night’s dominant victory for the Boston Celtics. Boston was the better team from start to finish this season and should be the heavy favorite to win another championship next year with most of their team returning.

It might be more difficult to establish power rankings too early for the upcoming season in the NBA than in any other sport. The NBA offseason has now begun and there is usually a lot of movement between now and the start of next season. It can be difficult to project who should be where, but it’s safe to assume that Boston should be right at the top.

And the Falcons?

The Hawks are officially on the clock and they are going to be one of the most interesting teams to watch in the coming weeks. They hold the No. 1 pick in next Wednesday’s NBA draft, one of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray will likely be traded, and other veteran players like Clint Capela, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter could also be moving. This team is unlikely to look the same as the new season begins.

In its recently released way-too-early power rankings for next year, Bleacher Report places the Hawks at 22nd:

“The basketball gods smiled on the Atlanta Hawks in May, when they moved up nine spots in the draft to land the No. 1 overall pick.

Most years this would feel like a massive victory. Even in this one, when the incoming class isn’t celebrated like most, it’s still better than staying at #10.

The Hawks have the first chance to find a star in this draft, and he should be surrounded by more veteran talent than most No. 1 overall picks.

Even if Atlanta trades a Dejounte Murray or Trae Young (and it should), the other star guard, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu will all be there to presumably keep the Hawks competitive. :

Chicago, Brooklyn, Toronto, Charlotte, Detroit and Washington are the Eastern Conference teams ranked behind Atlanta, placing them 9th in the East.

I think there’s a chance Atlanta will be higher than that when the new season starts. I think it’s likely they keep Young as their main centerpiece, Jalen Johnson looks like a future star, and whoever the #1 pick is will add talent to the team, even if they’re not not a star right away (most rookies are). Also consider the potential return they could get from deals involving Murray, Capela, Hunter and Bogdanovic. It’s fair to classify the Hawks as a below-average team heading into the offseason, but there’s a chance they could shoot. in the top half of the league if they make the right choices.

The key word is if.