I just wrote about why the Cleveland Cavaliers are a team no Toronto Raptors fan should really worry about. So let’s switch things up in this piece and talk about why the Atlanta Hawks could be a problem not just for the Raptors in a potential playoff matchup, but for the entire Eastern Conference.
I know, crazy, right? A Hawks team with a worse record than both the Cavs and Raptors is somehow scarier than both? But let me at least make my case first.
The Hawks have a lot in common with the 2025 Pacers
When I think of magical playoff runs, nothing really pops to my head like what we saw the Indiana Pacers accomplish during their run in 2025. Their depth, floor spacing, pace of play, and a star player reaching another level as the anchor of their offense were the perfect recipe. The Hawks have the potential to be exactly that. While I do think there is a drop-off from Tyrese Haliburton to Jalen Johnson, one playoff run changed how people around the league viewed Hali, and the same could happen for JJ.
Although Johnson is struggling with efficiency to start the season, we’ve seen who he can be in Quin Snyder's system. With the Hawks prioritizing more shot-making and spacing this offseason, his playmaking tools and ability to get downhill as a driver will only be further unlocked as the season progresses.
Every championship team needs to execute and win tight games, and in four clutch games Atlanta holds a 3-1 record. They also need someone to go to when the offense gets stagnant, and they have one of the best in Nickeil Alexander-Walker. If it’s not his night, CJ McCollum has continued to show that age is just a number for him, as he still provides elite spacing and shot creation.
A big part of that Indiana run in 2025 was Myles Turner and how valuable he was as a floor-spacing big, and the Hawks have two of those. Yes, I’m aware Jock Landale hasn’t shot the ball well from three to start the season, but he's built a reputation that suggests he’ll shake out of that. Having him and Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt can be super problematic for any team, but especially the Raptors, as Jakob Poeltl has continuously struggled against floor-spacing bigs.
Against the Hawks, there’s not really anyone you could stick Poeltl on and feel great about, and maybe Dyson Daniels, who isn’t a threat to shoot the three-ball. But even then, his improvements as a cutter and screener made him someone that you can no longer just leave on offense.
Even if Scottie Barnes and Kawhi Leonard contain the combination of NAW and JJ, that still leaves McCollum to deal with, along with a second unit full of capable scorers and playmakers.
That’s the biggest thing this Hawks group has going for them: depth. Aaron Wiggins, as of now, looks like the runaway for Sixth Man of the Year. Lu Dort is still a high-level defender and connector on offense, Kingston Flemings gives them a steady backup point guard, Landale is a great backup big, and even Corey Kispert is someone they can go to if they need a boost from three.
Eight games into the 2026-27 season, the Hawks have made the third-most total threes, are sixth in pace, and fourth in total bench scoring. The three-point discrepancy between the two teams is already a major issue. Then you factor in that the Hawks don’t turn it over, averaging the sixth-fewest turnovers per game, and those are two areas Atlanta could easily punish Toronto in.
On top of that, if a big-name player hits the trade market between Dorian Finney-Smith, Landale, and Kispert, they could send out roughly 42 million in salary to package with draft capital.
I know it's super early, but that’s exactly why I’m so scared for the Raptors' sake of the Hawks in a playoff setting. Because right now they aren’t even fully clicking, yet they keep playing a team-first, fast, three-point-heavy style that’s been so successful in the playoffs in recent years.
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