For better or for worse, several teams have recently rebranded themselves in anticipation of a fresh start in the 2015-16 season by revealing new logos, new uniforms and, in some cases, even new names. Like the stalwart fans we are, we thought we’d see which efforts were most successful, and which ones should go back to the drawing board.

 

Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks revealed their new primary and secondary logos on Monday, along with the team’s new official name: The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Club. The main logo—a badge-style icon in the team’s iconic red and white—features the original “Pac-man” style logo in the centre. Text bearing the team’s new name surrounds it, finalizing the branding shift.
Extra credit: It builds on the success of the original, a smart move as many basketball fans aren’t fans of change.

Final grade: B

 

Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers, otherwise known as the worst team in the league, dropped this new logo ahead of the NBA Draft Lottery. It brings back the original Philadelphia numerics in blue and red and pays homage to the original American colonies with a ring of 13 stars.
Extra credit: The partial and secondary logos feature stars and little else, making them crowd-pleasingly minimalist.

Final grade: C+

 

Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks showed off this new logo in mid-May. It features several nuanced design elements that make it one of our favourites, including an expanded rack with 12 antlers over the previous design’s eight (showcasing the team’s growth over the last season).
Extra credit: Teams love throwing a basketball into their logos, which gets old fast. Milwaukee hid one in their spirit animal’s antlers instead.

Final grade: A+

 

Washington Wizards
Washington began its NBA Playoffs push by revealing its logo redesign for the 2015-16 season. The circular icon features the team’s name and the Washington Monument, which has figured into the design since 2011, leading many to note that it resembles a soccer or hockey team logo.
Extra credit: The team announced that it will discontinue using its late-90s era wizard/partial moon logo. Thank goodness.

Final grade: C-

 

Toronto Raptors
The Raps’ new primary logo came out early in the 2014-15 season, bearing a basketball shield complete with claw marks. The release coincided with the team’s shifting fortunes—Toronto scored a playoffs position for the first time in almost a decade the year prior.
Extra credit: A gold, black and silver version of the new logo provides a nod to the OVO brand founded by rapper Drake, the Raptors’ global ambassador.

 

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