3 Underrated Eastern Conference rivals the Orlando Magic must watch out for

2. Atlanta Hawks

Since the Atlanta Hawks’ run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2020-21 season, the team has been rather unimpressive. They never made it past the first round again and missed the playoffs last season. That earned them the number-one pick in a pretty weak draft. On top of that, the Hawks traded away Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. 

The Hawks do not look like anything more than a Play-In Tournament team but that does not mean the Magic should underestimate Atlanta. After all, the Hawks have won six of the last eight matchups against the Magic. By now the Magic are a much better team while the Hawks have likely gotten worse but it does not hurt to be on guard when playing Atlanta. 

Unnecessary losses to teams the Magic are supposed to beat could have some unwelcome consequences for the team’s playoff chase. Most of the Magic’s games against the Hawks are late in the season, giving them some extra importance as the Magic make their final push toward securing a good playoff spot, preferably with homecourt advantage. 

So, while the Hawks should not be a huge threat to the Magic, they should still watch out for Trae Young and company.