By John A. Tures. Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College
And Zach Tures, Sports Management Major, Mercer University
The Atlanta Hawks have surprisingly caught fire since the All-Star Break, and the trading of star Trae Young. After several seasons of being stuck in “play-in tournaments” in the playoffs and early exits since their great post-pandemic run, fans of the Hawks, starved for the city’s first basketball championship, are beginning to wonder if the 2025-2026 year could be real. We look at the current team, and the historical record, to compare these new Hawks to their historical counterparts, to see if a championship is within reach this year, or just beyond Atlanta’s grasp.
Regular Season Heroes, Postseason Blues
In years past, the Atlanta Hawks have been able to showcase one of the most dynamic players in the game. And almost a decade ago, the greatest starting five in franchise history won almost 20 games in a row. Yet both types of teams came up short in the postseason. What happened?
In the era of Magic, Bird, Kareem, Iceman, and Michael Jordan of course, it’s hard to stand out. Yet that’s what Dominique Wilkins, the human highlight reel was able to do in the 1980s, with his electrifying dunks. He also set a franchise record in 1988, scoring 30.7 points per game. The team won the Central Division title with a record of 57 wins against 25 losses. But a lack of strong supporting cast kept Wilkins from earning a ring.
It was the same story after the pandemic. Dynamic guard Trae Young and his timely threes and shaking his arms in the “ice” fashion excited the basketball world as the pandemic receded. The team outplayed the New York Knicks in the first round and ousted the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers. Young netted 48 points in a Game 1 victory against the Milwaukee Bucks. But Young’s injury, and the inability of his supporting cast (John Collins, Clint Capela) to make up the difference kept the championship out of Atlanta’s reach.
It’s worth noting that the lone championship banner in Hawks history, when the team played in St. Louis, was only 41-31 that year. Yet the Bob Pettit-led team upended the legendary Boston Celtics in the 1957-1958 team.
Until perhaps this year, the best franchise season came in 2014-2015, when Atlanta went 60-22. They won 19 games in a row. All five starters (Paul Millsaps, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll) were named NBA Players of the Month for January. They even had some decent reserve players in Dennis Schroder, Mike Scott and Kent Bazemore. But if there was a weakness, it was that the team may have peaked too soon, with the streak occurring before the All-Star Game. They also did not rebound very well, and had low numbers for FGA and FTA. The team held off the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, but were no match for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept them in four games.
The team also made a tremendous blunder, firing Coach Mike Budenholzer after trading away several of his players. As if to prove the point, “Coach Bud” led the Bucks to the NBA Championship, ousting the Hawks.
Could The 2025-2026 Hawks Be Different?
Are this year’s Atlanta Hawks different from their predecessors?
The key problem the 2014-2015 Hawks faced in the Eastern Conference Finals was their inability to shoot threes. In the series, the Hawks shot 23.4% from beyond the arc. This was far lower than the league average of 34.8%. The Hawks defense, which ranked 6th in the league for the season, held LeBron to 30 points per game, which is impressive considering that LeBron would later drop 40 points three times in the finals against the top ranked Golden State Warriors defense.
The 2015 Hawks going cold in shooting at the wrong time was the biggest contributor to them swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it is important to note that they did all they could to contain possibly the greatest NBA player of all time in his prime.
Many loyal Hawks fans may be reminded of this all-time great Hawks team with the 2026 new-look Hawks. In 2015 the Hawks ranked 6th in both offence and defense. The 2026 Hawks since the All-star break, or more importantly since trading Trae Young and Kristaps Porzingis, rank 2nd in defensive rating and 4th in offense. These amazing stats have led to the Hawks having the 3rd best record since the All-star break, only behind the league leading Thunder and Spurs. Does this mean the Hawks are destined for the same fate as their 2015 counterparts?
The key difference that makes Hawks fans more hopeful is ending the season strong. Although the 2015 Hawks finished the season first in the eastern conference, they lost three straight to end the season. This ominous ending to the 2015 season led the Hawks to limp their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs against a Nets team that had a losing record and a Washington Wizards team without their star point guard, John Wall. Even though the Hawks just had their best regular season of all time, anyone would tell you that the Hawks did not look like themselves going into the Eastern Conference Finals.
The 2026 Atlanta Hawks on the other hand are the hottest team heading into the playoffs. The Hawks are ending the season on a hot streak including strong wins over the first place Pistons and the Celtics who are the clear-cut favorites in the East. In their past 20 games, the Hawks only two losses came from the Celtics and Rockets who are both solid playoff teams. If the Hawks keep up this pace, they could find our way back to the Eastern Conference Finals once more. Although this year’s Hawks look shockingly similar to the 2015 Hawks, it looks like these playoffs are where their trajectories go in opposite directions.
John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu or on “X” at @johntures2. His first book “Branded” a thriller novel, has been published by the Huntsville Independent Press (https://www.huntsvilleindependent.com/product-page/branded).