2026-27 NBA Season Preview: Hawks, Magic, Hornets, Heat, Wizards (Southeast Division)

With the common season set to tip off Oct. 20, let’s take a look at where each crew in the Southeast Division stands. We’ll break down what to like and be involved about, a lineup to watch and a cheap vary for them to end in the standings. 

Let’s dig in, shall we?

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Hawks • Magic • Hornets • Heat • Wizards

Previous divisions: Central • Southwest • Northwest • Pacific

Atlanta Hawks

WHAT TO LIKE: Perimeter protection

You won’t discover many trios more menacing than Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort and Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the perimeter.

I do not think they’ll begin collectively barring damage, but the prospect of having at least two of them on the flooring at all instances is engaging to me. I’m particularly excited for the minutes that Daniels and Dort share collectively; being ready to further weaponize Daniels’ off-ball chops should help their protection proceed to flip people over at a high degree.

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OTHER LIKES

• It’s time for the full Jalen Johnson Experience! He earned his first All-Star and All-NBA nod last season, filling the box rating while spearheading a we-hit-you-from-anywhere offensive attack. Following the Knicks poking at some of his weaknesses in the playoffs last yr, I’m excited to see how much he’s grown from it, and what type of counters he’s added.

• It feels like yesterday I was noting the Hawks randomly sprinkling in exit screens for Onyeka Okongwu to take nook 3s. Now, he’s coming off a season where he shot practically 38% from deep on over 5 makes an attempt. His transformation into a true stretch option, while still being ready to operate as a hub, has been actually freakin’ cool to watch.

• There is bucket-getting to be had here in Atlanta. CJ McCollum and Alexander-Walker, in explicit, are two of the most aesthetically pleasing scorers in the league.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Half-court creation

We’ll begin here: Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks ranked fifteenth in half-court offense (97.7; league average: 98.1) total, but twenty second against top-10 defenses (92.4; league average: 94.7). 

In order for the Hawks to take the next step, they’re going to have to improve against set defenses. All of the tempo, tempo and inverted actions in the world won’t save this group if they aren’t ready to punish matchups more constantly — particularly when groups ramp up their switching. 

Johnson, in explicit, has to be taught and finally grow from the classes that introduced themselves during their first-round exit against the Knicks. Josh Hart was ready to trouble his cadence with ball strain, and nail help appeared to power Johnson into early pick-ups — and powerful jumpers. His potential to navigate tight quarters could raise the flooring and ceiling of this Hawks group, but we have to see it.

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OTHER CONCERNS

• An underrated half of the Hawks’ post-trade run was them almost-randomly turning into a good rebounding crew, significantly on the defensive glass. I’m curious to see how actual that was.

• Jock Landale was fairly good in his Atlanta stint before he got harm last season, but I’m a little uneasy with how important he is to this group. He’s the only 5-sized 5 expected to be in the rotation; they’re going to need him to maintain up against certain matchups. 

• More curiosity than concern, but a back-of-the-brain thought for me is how groups deal with Daniels as a screener and handoff hub this yr. The Hawks ramped up his utilization on both fronts in gentle of groups persevering with to stash bigs on him; does that proceed to be fruitful, or will there be some kind of counter to restrict his (and the crew’s) effectiveness in those contexts?

LINEUP TO WATCH: McCollum-NAW-Daniels-Johnson-Okongwu

To borrow from my esteemed Dunker Spot co-host Steve Jones Jr., I need to see this beginning lineup.

They blitzed the league during their 2026 run — a +19.3 (!) web ranking in 391 minutes — though they weren’t ready to keep that in their first-round loss to the Knicks (-28 in 82 minutes). There’s a lot of bucket-getting and inverted actions to be had and ran, and a lot of defensive exercise to be excited about.

There’s also dimension to poke at, and a high quantity of switching that could be invited with a lot of their pairings. I’m excited to see just how good this group is with a bigger pattern.

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BEST CASE: No. 3 seed

The protection stays chaotic in the best approach, thus fueling an elite transition attack. Half-court growth from Johnson makes him more of a strain level, making him and his supporting solid more troublesome to deal with. A high-octane, egalitarian offense paired with a turnover-forcing protection could completely churn out 50 wins. 

They did win at a 53-win tempo (28-15 from 1/9 onward) following the Trae Young commerce, after all.

WORST CASE: Play-In Tournament

The East is powerful, which could put them in the 7-10 vary by default. Beyond that, I do surprise what the offense seems to be like if groups proceed to land on switching to flatten them out. Their potential to power turnovers helped offset some of the dimension (and early season rebounding) points they had; any slippage in that space could also decrease their flooring.

Orlando Magic

WHAT TO LIKE: The beginning 5

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I discover it arduous to fully stop the Orlando Magic, largely because their beginning 5 is so fascinating to me. 

Jalen Suggs is one of the best guard defenders in the league, and he continues to get more audacious (principally complimentary) as an offensive participant. Desmond Bane is an electric shooter that doubles as one of the more underrated (and bodily) drivers in the league. 

Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are two huge, All-Star caliber wings that can inflict ache as drivers and (growing) playmakers. Wendell Carter Jr., for my money, may just be the most underrated heart in the league proper now. There are kinks that can be ironed out offensively, but this is typically a group I’m high on.

OTHER LIKES

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• Last season was the first time Banchero took a bigger share of pictures at the rim than he did from midrange. He posted a career-high in true capturing share (56.6) and free-throw charge (51.2) last season. Do we think that development continues? For his and the Magic’s sake, I sure hope so!

• I … kinda like the Magic having Jase Richardson, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze as a reserve group. It may finish up biting me later in the yr, but there’s a mix of creation and protection that I (need to) believe in.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Can they open up the offense?

It feels like we’re reaching an inflection level with the Banchero-Wagner pairing.

Both are expert forwards on their own, but they’re close enough in dimension that groups are snug switching actions they’re concerned in collectively. And contemplating neither of them are fearsome shooters, their shared minutes have typically felt underwhelming.

Insert the apparent preseason caveat here, but I’ve preferred a lot of what I’ve seen from the Magic offense, structurally talking. The tempo is up, the spacing ideas — both the initial alignment and the relocations that occur during actions — are robust. The side-to-side stream feels higher, and there seems to be a concerted effort to make sure Wagner and Banchero are catching the ball 1) on the transfer and 2) with a lot of space to work with.

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This has to maintain, or we’re going to be answering some big-picture questions instead of merely asking them. 

OTHER CONCERNS

• It feels like Magic heritage at this level, but they still really feel fairly gentle on capturing. I’ve gotten a kick out of Da Silva seemingly attempting to clear up the 3-point concern by himself this preseason (21 makes an attempt in two video games).

• While I acknowledge Bitadze in explicit is most likely higher than given credit for, I do have some delicate issues about the inside protection with WCJ off the flooring.

• Speaking of the protection: I surprise if the Magic are ready to discover a higher stability between being bodily and sending groups to the line this yr. They’ve been close to the backside of the league in opponent free-throw charge for three years in a row.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Suggs-Bane-Wagner-Banchero-Carter Jr.

The excellent news: Orlando’s projected beginning lineup blitzed groups (+12.4 web ranking) when they performed collectively last season.

The dangerous information: Across the common season and postseason, they logged only 272 minutes collectively.

That is not close to enough. 

It’s a primary level to make, but I just need to see this group on the court more typically because I think there’s something actually good brewing here.

BEST CASE: Top-3 seed

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We just watched the Detroit Pistons experience an MVP-caliber marketing campaign (Cade Cunningham) and an elite protection to 60 wins. 

I would not put Wagner or Banchero in the Cunningham tier, but they both have All-NBA potential if they’re healthy enough. There’s enough collective dimension and point-of-attack goodness to be a stingy protection. If the Magic discover the proper mix on both ends, there’s completely a roadmap to them churning out regular-season wins.

WORST CASE: Just outside the play-in

The Magic finally broke their bottom-10-offense curse last season — at least they did per Cleaning the Glass — but it still underwhelmed. The offense not taking a step, the protection being sub-elite, and any damage woes with their core could have them on the outside trying in.

Charlotte Hornets

WHAT TO LIKE: Another yr of Kon Knueppel

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A worthy option for last yr’s Rookie of the Year award, Kon Knueppel should have more on his plate this season. On prime of establishing himself as one of the league’s best shooters, he (and head coach Charles Lee) has already proven how to weaponize that capturing with his utilization as a screener. 

The on-ball reps were encouraging last yr; he was ready to boogie into (short) midrange seems to be in key moments, and in normal I really feel he’s got more juice as a driver than given credit for. I’m excited to see how he handles more defensive consideration.

OTHER LIKES

• Brandon Miller was a massive half of Charlotte’s 2026 run. He shot the leather-based off the ball, but there was also a power that he performed with against switches and small mismatches that I hope carries over into this yr. There’s low-hanging fruit for him to grab as an inside-the-arc option as he gets stronger and tightens the deal with. He could actually cement himself as one of the league’s best wing scorers this yr.

• Naz Reid taking part in in a more uptempo offense, with a ton of space and guard screens at his disposal, is a context that excites me. I said it on “The Dunker Spot” when the commerce occurred: do not be shocked if Reid averages north of 20 factors per recreation this season.

• Between Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner, I’m excited for the Hornets to crush groups on the offensive glass again.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: How actual is the protection?

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The Hornets flirting with a top-10 protection last yr — they were fifth in 2026, a 49-game pattern! — was one of the bigger upsets of the yr. There were some schematic issues to level to — they flooded the paint on drives, and tried to keep a healthy nail presence — but they largely did the boring stuff. They did not foul (fifth in opponent free-throw charge) and did not give up additional alternatives (third in defensive rebound charge). 

Does swapping out LaMelo Ball and Phoenix Suns Forward #22 with Reid, Grayson Allen, and Royce O’Neale make them a steadier unit? Or does the loss of Ball ding the offense enough to where they aren’t ready to set their protection, making them worse by default?

OTHER CONCERNS

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• The guard creation without Ball will naturally be under a microscope. For all the turnover or rim strain warts, Ball constantly juiced the transition attack and created high-value pictures because of his mix of dimension, tempo, shot-making and passing audacity. There’s a pathway to changing Ball’s manufacturing in the combination, but it’s a tiiight needle to thread with actual draw back if they do not nail it.

• Once again, I’ll be monitoring the collective rim strain of this group offensively. Reid, Coby White and Dennis Schröder will need to convey some juice. I’d love to see steps taken from Miller and Knueppel particularly.

LINEUP TO WATCH: Schröder-Allen-Knueppel-O’Neale-Kalkbrenner

I was tempted to roll with the beginning group, but I’m fascinated by how efficient the second unit is going to be. Schröder is still a strolling paint contact; Allen and O’Neale are coming off Phoenix campaigns where they had more room to discover as drivers and high-volume shooters. Kalkbrenner is a keen screener and a vacuum on the offensive glass.

Giving Knueppel or Miller this unit — or possibly tapping into some all-bench minutes with a completely different fifth (Sion James for protection? Grant Williams for grit and switchability? Do we believe in a Liam McNeeley leap? Is it just going to be Pat Connaughton?) could be enjoyable.

BEST CASE: No. 6 seed

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Growth (and good health) from Miller and Knueppel, paired with persevering with to win the math battle — high 3-point quantity and effectivity, plus crushing the offensive glass in explicit — could set the crew up to win more video games than expected. If the collective dimension and toughness added this offseason permits the Hornets to keep switchable and help in their help ideas, they could flirt around a top-10 end in offensive and defensive ranking again.

(A reminder that, per Cleaning the Glass, they were fifth in offense and eleventh in protection last season.)

WORST CASE: Just outside the play-in

This could be as easy as the protection slipping, the Hornets lacking LaMelo’s potential to draw two or create benefits out of skinny air with his passing, and the relaxation of the convention being too powerful for them to carve out a top-10 spot. 

Miami Heat

WHAT TO LIKE: Giannis Antetokounmpo

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The enjoyable of the Jimmy Butler period, significantly during the playoffs, is that he’d typically elevate into a top-five participant — a man that, on any given evening, could match or outperform the famous person(s) on the other facet of him.

In Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Heat have a man who walks in with top-five equity. It’s the first time they’ve had someone with that sort of flooring since LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were trading lobs with each other.

The early preseason returns have been loud; Giannis’ strain can break defenses, and his presence can open up fruitful seems to be for his teammates.

OTHER LIKES

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• Bam Adebayo is one of the best defenders in the world. And while he’ll be needed to do a little bit of everything offensively — drive, go, screen on and off the ball, post smaller matchups — he should not have the same burden of duty with Giannis in city. Paired with the defensive personnel the Heat can toss out around him, are we discounting the chance of Adebayo placing collectively his best season on that finish? 

• If we’re speaking protection, the Heat being ready to have two of Davion Mitchell, backup Dru Smith (get properly soon), Pelle Larsson and Andrew Wiggins on the flooring at all instances is kinda absurd.

• I know Erik Spoelstra is excited to have Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway Jr. at his disposal to open up the flooring and the playbook.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Guard creation

Giannis is, and has long been, a power of nature offensively. He’s even higher when he has a guard or wing that can unlock him as a screening option — and when he truly desires to set a screen. The Heat do not have a great option on that entrance, at least not on the ball. 

There is no high-volume, off-the-bounce capturing risk to constantly draw bigs at the degree; no S-tier passer to unlock Giannis or Adebayo as lob choices. Maybe it does not matter because the frontcourt duo is too good, and the protection total is too stingy. But until that’s confirmed, it’s price monitoring the quantity of unders and switches the guards will possible see — and how properly they deal with them.

OTHER CONCERNS

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• More curiosity than concern, but I do surprise what the non-Adebayo minutes are going to look like defensively. How typically does Spoelstra need to faucet the Giannis-at-5 button? How much zone will this crew play (hello, Bobby Portis minutes), and how typically will they do so from a place of power versus a level of necessity?

• I’ve been intrigued by the Nikola Jović preseason; can he carry that over into regular-season play and set up himself as a no-doubt rotation piece? It’d help Miami’s lineup versatility if he does.

• Back to Adebayo: what precisely does this half-court offense look like against high-level defenses if he does not take a leap as a 3-point shooter? Does that unlock some cross-matching for groups to faucet into?

LINEUP TO WATCH: Larsson-Thompson-Wiggins-Antetokounmpo-Adebayo

Wiggins and Larsson defending your prime choices; Antetokounmpo and Adebayo chewing up space and/or erasing errors on the backline. That alone is enough to excite me, and that’s excluding what Thompson may have left as a defender — or at least a communicator that’s well-versed in navigating scram-switch waters. 

BEST CASE: No. 1

This would be the Giannis MVP pathway, main a Heat offense that ranked just outside of the top-10 last season and lifting it to elite ranges. An Adebayo-led protection with this personnel should be in the top-five. Constant paint strain, a high high quality (and quantity) of 3s, plus an elite protection is a system that could produce 50+ wins.

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WORST CASE: Play-In Tournament

I think it’d take some otherworldly dangerous damage luck for the Heat to miss the play-in altogether, but there’s actually a world where Giannis misses time and the offense underwhelms. It’d serve as a reminder that the Heat’s three best perimeter creators (Tyler Herro, Norm Powell, Jaime Jaquez Jr.) from last season are no longer here.

And while Miami’s late-season defensive slide was due to a bit of shot variance from 3, it is price noting that the flooring of this group lowers if they’re “only” a strong protection instead of an elite one.

Washington Wizards

WHAT TO LIKE: Trae Young, table-setting

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We saw glimpses of this last season after the commerce, but Young should raise the flooring and convey a degree of calm to a younger Wizards group that wants it. There’s only so much you can glean from preseason, but I hope it served as a reminder that Young is one of the best passers we have in the league. His potential to run and generate high quality seems to be out of high ball-screens, early or late in possessions, should make life simpler for everyone around him.

OTHER LIKES

• AJ Dybantsa is already one of my favourite drivers in the league. Explosive, yet artful. Undeniable, but with some low-hanging fruit to grab. He’s going to stay at the line. Heck, the trio of him, Young, and Anthony Davis should stay at the line.

• On Davis, he should be a enjoyable screening companion for Young. He should also give the Wizards some added competency and versatility on the defensive finish. I’m excited to watch him and Alex Sarr battle over who’s the heart defend collectively.

• Kyshawn George had the ball in his palms a lot more last season, and did not look out of place making reads. In truth, I discovered myself impressed with his flooring recreation while still remaining a capturing risk. I’m excited to watch him operate as a second-side option off of Young’s gravity.

• Just a normal shoutout to Tre Johnson’s jumper: it’s extremely clean, environment friendly, and his base is superior on 2K if you’ve never used it. Also, between Johnson, Bub Carrington and Will Riley, the Wizards have some younger guys that do not thoughts getting up pictures.

BIGGEST QUESTION MARK: Defensive consistency

Injury, lineup and lottery-related context however, this was fairly simply the worst protection in the league last yr. Establishing higher habits and a competent base (I think there’s potential to be a feisty at-the-level crew if they nail the rotations behind it) will take some time, and that’s before acknowledging that they’ll have to scheme around some, ahem, defensively challenged guards in the course of.

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(I will say, as my Dunker Spot co-host Steve has alluded to, it’s price acknowledging the early returns of effort from the younger guards during preseason. That’s a massive half of the battle proper there.)

OTHER CONCERNS

• I’m apprehensive that, for all my pleasure about the Wizards’ pick-and-roll attacks, that (good) groups finally land on inserting size on Young and turning those ball screens into switches. This could be a post-heavy group virtually by default, and I would not love that for the health of their offense.

• Loosely associated to the protection level, I hope Bilal Coulibaly is ready to discover something dependable as an offensive participant so that he warrants enough taking part in time for the protection to pop. This is a actually massive yr for him.

LINEUP TO WATCH: George-Dybantsa-Middleton-Davis-Sarr

While I’m typically excited to see what the full-time Young expertise will be like, I’m fascinated by the larger lineup mixtures they can faucet into. Of the attainable choices, Khris Middleton or Coulibaly (protection, child!) would convey me the most pleasure.

BEST CASE: No. 6 seed

Getting 65+ video games out of Young and Davis is most likely asking for too much. But in the world that it occurs, the Wizards could have high-level stabilizing forces on both ends of the flooring to complement a enjoyable mix of younger expertise. A Rookie of the Year-level marketing campaign from Dybantsa, inner growth from George and others, and a constant wave of scoring threats could make the Wizards one of the most annoying groups in the league to deal with.

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WORST CASE: Bottom of the East

While there are some attention-grabbing defenders on the roster, I would not say it’s a great defensive roster. Injuries to the older star gamers plus a rudderless enterprise on that finish could have them slide down the standings fairly rapidly.