The Atlanta Hawks found something late last season, and the numbers backed it up. After CJ McCollum moved into the starting lineup, Atlanta ripped off a 21-9 finish over its final 30 games in the 2025-26 campaign. That stretch came with McCollum forming a dangerous guard trio alongside Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and all indications are the Hawks are ready to roll it back when 2026-27 opens.
Daniels made clear at Hawks Media Day that the fit works because the three guards bring different strengths to the table and keep the ball moving between them.
"We all have a little bit different play styles. When you have that, you can really gel together and play off each other ... As a three, we talked all the time about how we can be better, how we can give each other opportunities to succeed," said Daniels.
I asked Dyson Daniels why the three-man lineup of him, CJ McCollum, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker worked so well so quickly last season.
Here was his response: pic.twitter.com/qmtCJ2fNp2
- Mikey Kobrinsky (@MRKHoops) September 28, 2026
For Daniels, a big part of the equation is the open-floor game. He said he likes to attack in transition as both a scorer and a playmaker, and Alexander-Walker and McCollum regularly trusted him to push the pace, make the next read, or create for someone else once the defense was on its heels. In the half court, his shooting struggles hurt Atlanta at times, but that didn’t stop him from being a problem when opponents had to scramble back and organize.
His size, strength, and passing stand out in those moments.
Daniels also gives the Hawks another useful tool because of how he screens. Atlanta leaned on him as a ball screener for Alexander-Walker, McCollum, and Jalen Johnson, and the short-roll actions gave him chances to make quick decisions in traffic.
Sometimes that meant a floater. Sometimes it was a pass to a cutter.
Sometimes it was a kickout to an open three.
McCollum and Alexander-Walker also fit cleanly because both can score with or without the ball. Daniels said that versatility kept them from stepping on each other’s toes offensively. Johnson was Atlanta’s top scoring option, but McCollum was the team’s best half-court shot creator, especially when the Hawks needed a bucket against the New York Knicks in the playoffs and turned to him in the mid-range and on mismatches against slow-footed bigs or poor perimeter defenders.
Alexander-Walker’s game also lines up neatly with Quin Snyder’s system. The 2025-26 Most Improved Player wants to shoot threes, get to the rim, and live at the line, and that mix of outside shooting and finishing touch makes him hard to pin down. Defenders have to guess whether he is going to fly by them or pull the trigger if they give him space.
The defensive side is just as important. Alexander-Walker and Daniels already form one of the league’s best perimeter pairings, and with Lu Dort in the mix, Atlanta now has what is arguably the NBA’s best perimeter defensive trio. McCollum is not a liability, but if opponents try to target him, the Hawks have enough options to respond and protect that matchup.
The big question now is how much more dangerous this three-guard setup can become if Daniels, McCollum, and Alexander-Walker add even more to their games this season.
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Quin Snyder Just Framed The Hawks Question That Will Define This Season
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The challenge, as Snyder framed it, is turning that theory into a nightly habit. Atlanta still has to sort through which lineups can sustain the balance it wants, and the real test will be whether the Hawks can keep their execution sharp enough to make that two-way style hold up for more than short bursts. That part is easy to describe in October. It gets a lot harder once the games start asking for the same answer over and over again. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks May Regret Letting Ryan Nembhard Find A Better Opening
Ryan Nembhards path changed quickly after a brief stop in Atlanta. The 23-year-old guard spent last season with the Dallas Mavericks before the Hawks cut him loose during roster trims, and he has now landed on a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets, a team that can at least dangle a clearer route to the floor.
For Denver, the appeal is obvious. With an aging core and the possibility that injuries could reshape the guard rotation, Nembhard has a chance to matter as bench depth and a source of offense if he earns trust in the rotation. For Atlanta, it is the kind of move that can linger if a player finds a better opening somewhere else, especially when the new team has a more immediate need for what he brings. [Read more 🡒]
Onyeka Okongwu Deadline Could Expose Hawks' Real Center Plan
Onyeka Okongwus next contract talk has become one of the cleaner windows into how the Hawks see their frontcourt. He is eligible for an extension that could run through three years and reach $76.6 million, and the team has until October 19 to work out a deal. Even without a final answer, the timing alone makes this a meaningful marker for Atlanta as it sorts out where Okongwu fits in the long term.
The bigger question is what the deadline says about the center spot overall. If the Hawks move forward with Okongwu, that would reinforce his place in the teams plans. If they do not, the uncertainty only adds weight to recent chatter about Atlantas interest in Jalen Duren and suggests the Hawks may be keeping their options open rather than locking in a single answer. [Read more 🡒]