30 in 30: Can Dejounte Murray resurrect the Atlanta Hawks’ hopes?

Atlanta Hawks Trae Young Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Hawks Trae Young Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
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John Collins
Atlanta Hawks John Collins (Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)

The best possible outcome for the Atlanta Hawks in 2022-23

While the Atlanta Hawks did raise their ceiling as a team, I’m still not quite sure what this team’s ceiling is. Like, what is the best possible outcome for the Hawks this season? That’s difficult to answer. But let’s try.

Looking at the rest of the East, it’s unlikely this team will be able to break into the top 3. The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers are head and shoulders better than the Hawks, even on paper.

And you may even be able to throw the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat into that category too. And I don’t think that would be too disappointing for the Hawks. That’s where it gets tricky. Even though the Hawks improved their roster, there’s still a chance they could be looking at a Play-In Tournament game.

This season for the Hawks is all about the future. They don’t need to make another deep playoff run. Instead, they just need to prove that Murray is the piece that could reignite this team moving forward.