Hawks projected to have the fifth-best record in the East by Vegas

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Chase Irle | Last updated 7/21/22

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.

Current Eastern Conference NBA over/under wins per @betonline_ag:

ATL 47.5
BOS 53.5
BKN Off the board
CHA 36.5
CHI 44.5
CLE 43.5
DET 27.5
IND 25.5
MIA 50
MIL 51.5
NYK Off the board
ORL 26.5
PHI 50.5
TOR 45.5
WAS 36

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 21, 2022

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.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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