Atlanta’s depth has been tested early, and Corey Kispert has quietly become one of the cleanest answers the Hawks have found.
That matters because the injury picture has been messy from the jump. Before the season even got going, Mo Gueye was ruled out for at least the first few months, and Henri Veesaar - Atlanta’s second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft - tore his ACL and is likely to miss the entire season.
Since then, the absences have kept piling up. Jalen Johnson and Jock Landale have both missed time, forcing others into bigger roles.
For the most part, those fill-ins have held up. Kispert has done more than that.
Atlanta’s offense through nine games has been hard to pin down. Matchups, size issues and unfamiliar settings have all played a part in slowing them down, but the bigger problem has been the team’s dependence on the three-point line.
The Hawks have been living and dying from deep. Kispert has been the exception.
When Atlanta landed the 27-year-old forward in January’s controversial Trae Young-Washington trade, the expectation was straightforward: a highly efficient shooter with real finishing touch and strong positional size. Instead, he wound up out of the rotation by the end of last season. His defense had limitations, and if the jumper wasn’t falling, there wasn’t much case for nightly playoff minutes.
This season, the jumper has been falling.
Through five games, Kispert is shooting exactly 60% from beyond the arc. That kind of number changes the conversation fast, even in a small sample. The shot has been so sharp that he’s gone from afterthought to one of the more useful pieces on the roster.
His impact showed up clearly in the win over Washington. On his first stint in the game, he went right to work offensively and used his size to create quality looks, taking advantage of Trae Young’s known weakness on the other side. It was another example of a trend that’s starting to look real: Kispert is shooting the ball very well.
If that keeps up, Coach Snyder may not have much choice but to keep him on the floor. And that could be true even once Johnson and the others are back.
In Other News...
Hawks Frontcourt Faces Another Test With One Key Status Still Unclear
Jalen Johnsons status remains one of the bigger questions hanging over Atlantas frontcourt as the Hawks get ready to face the Wizards. Johnson is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain and has already missed the last two games, leaving Quin Snyder to keep sorting through a rotation that is already thin with several other Hawks expected to sit because of injuries.
Asa Newell is also on the report, along with Jock Landale, Keshon Gilbert, Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar, which only adds to the challenge of piecing together enough size and depth for the matchup. Snyder has pointed to Zuby Ejiofors recent play as a bright spot, praising the way he fits into Atlantas defensive identity, but the bigger issue for the Hawks is how much they can ask of that front line if Johnson is not available again. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Rookie Has A Rare Chance To Challenge A Franchise Icon
Kingston Flemings is already getting a kind of rookie assignment most first-year players never see. The recent top-ten pick stepped into his first career start against Washington and handled the moment well enough to help Atlanta come away with a victory, a strong early sign that the Hawks are willing to put real responsibility on his shoulders right away.
The next meeting with the Wizards brings an even more unusual wrinkle, because Flemings is expected to start again while sharing the floor with Trae Young, one of the franchises defining names. For a rookie still settling into the league, it is a rare chance to measure himself in a game that carries both immediate stakes and a little extra symbolism for a Hawks team that has already shown it trusts him in a bigger role than most first-year players get. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Frontcourt Just Took Another Hit Fans Wont Like
The Hawks frontcourt depth took another hit with Asa Newell sidelined after suffering a left great toe hyperextension. Atlanta said he will be reevaluated in about two weeks, though the recovery could stretch beyond that point, adding another layer of uncertainty to a roster already dealing with multiple injuries.
Keshon Gilbert also remains out after undergoing a non-surgical procedure for left knee inflammation, and he is due to be reevaluated in roughly six weeks. With several Hawks still on the shelf, the injury list is starting to shape the teams day-to-day options in a way that could force more lineup shuffling than anyone in Atlanta would like. [Read more 🡒]