On paper, the Atlanta Hawks failing to make it out of the first round for the fifth consecutive season would be a dissapointment. They went into the season with projections as one of the East's best teams and finished slightly below expectations as a No. 6 seed. There's certainly a lot of room for improvement and nailing this offseason will be crucial for the ceiling of the Jalen Johnson era. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that the Hawks took two games off a Knicks team that is currently up 2-0 in the NBA Finals and riding a 13-game win streak. They were at a massive talent disadvantage, but out-executed the Knicks in the clutch and forced them to change their identity in order to win the series. Those changes proved effective - it's hard to say that Atlanta was the better team when the Knicks eliminated them by a 140-89 margin in Game 6. Unfortunately, I don't think that winning two games against a clearly formidable opponent suggests the current state of the roster is capable of challenging in the Eastern Conference. It instead provides some credible reasons to buy in what the Hawks are doing without ignoring the flaws of the roster this season. Furthermore, it also shows that Atlanta needs to make some adjustments on their roster and in their coaching approach. Small Guards Aren't Dead Just Yet (Especially The Vets)Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) reacts after a basket against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images