The Atlanta Hawks enjoyed a 2014-15 campaign that saw them break a franchise record in wins (60), and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.

So based on their offseason activity, which saw them retain power forward Paul Millsap and gain former San Antonio Spurs big man Tiago Splitter in a cap-reducing move by the Spurs, you would think that the Hawks would be well on their way to another 60-plus win campaign in 2015-16, right?

Wrong.

While the Hawks will be good enough to be a contender in the East, don’t look for this team to reach the lofty goals that they set last season. For starters, their heart-and-soul, DeMarre Carroll, took his talents north of the border to the Toronto Raptors, which leaves the Hawks thin at small forward.

Second, the rest of the Eastern Conference is quickly catching up to the Hawks. The Cleveland Cavaliers are bringing their entire roster back next season, and teams that were on the outside of the playoffs like the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers have improved their talent, which means the road back to the conference finals for the Hawks will be a more treacherous journey.

Make no mistake, Atlanta will be a solid 52-win team next year if Millsap and Al Horford have great seasons, Jeff Teague takes the leap into being a franchise player, and Atlanta finds a replacement for Carroll. If those things take place, the Hawks will be right back in the thick of things in the conference.

But don’t expect this team to have a year like they did in 2014-15. That will be too much to ask for from this current squad.

Kareem Gantt covers the wide world of sports for Rant Sports. For more from this author, follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.