The Hawks had a fairly busy offseason that was highlighted by the acquisition of Dejounte Murray. The addition of Murray gives Trae Young the first All-Star teammate of his career and creates one of the most feared backcourts in the NBA. After a disappointing 2021-2022 season, Vegas thinks the Hawks have done enough to bounce back.
Oddsmakers believe the Hawks are the fifth-best team in the Eastern Conference — behind the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Heat. Of course, the Nets and Knicks are not currently on the board, so things could change.
Still, I think an over/under set at 47.5 for this Hawks team is very fair. They are coming off a season in which they won just 43 games, and they needed a late-season surge to even get to that number. Given there could be some growing pains between Young and Murray, I’m almost a little surprised the number is that high. However, I believe the Hawks have the talent to be a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. It’s all about how quickly the new pieces gel together.
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