The Atlanta Hawks have packed a lot into their first 12 games, and now they get a breather before Friday’s NBA Cup meeting with the Chicago Bulls. No team in the league has played more games than Atlanta so far, so this week off arrives at a good time.
Through the opening stretch, the Hawks have been pretty balanced overall. They’ve had a strong run, including a recent four-game winning streak, but they’ve also dealt with shaky defense and uneven shooting. Even so, they’re sitting at No. 5 in the Eastern Conference, with room to build from here.
If you break the season down by position group, the guard spot has been the clear bright spot.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been one of the NBA’s best shooters early on and is leading the Hawks with 21.9 PPG. He’s shooting 41.7% from the field and 37.3% from three, while also giving Atlanta solid defense. The overall field-goal number can still climb, but this has been a strong start.
Aaron Wiggins has also been a major win. He’s been one of the best role players in the league so far and has put himself in the conversation for both Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player, which would make him the Hawks’ third straight winner in that category. The trade for him already looks like one of the summer’s best moves.
Kingston Flemings has had the normal rookie bumps, but Atlanta has been better with him on the floor, and he has worked his way into the starting point guard role. He’s averaging 8.5 PGG and 4.4 APG in nearly 22 minutes per game, while shooting 52.1% from the field and 42.9% from three.
CJ McCollum, meanwhile, has seen his production and efficiency dip, which pushed him to the bench in favor of Flemings. He’s averaging 13.6 PPG and 3.9 APG while shooting 41.4% from the field and 35.5% from three. His defense has been a major problem, and the expiring $21 million salary could become an important trade chip.
Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort also fit in this group, and Daniels has been one of the most important players on the roster. Even with his three-point shot still lagging, his two-way impact has been impossible to replace. He’s averaging 9.8 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 5.8 APG while remaining one of the league’s most disruptive defenders.
Jalen Johnson has had a slower start. He has missed three games and hasn’t been as efficient offensively, while also having trouble on defense.
He’s averaging 19.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 7.2 APG on 44.9% shooting from the field and 20.5% from three. There’s reason to expect better, but Atlanta needs more from him.
Dort has also had a rough opening stretch, especially on offense and from deep. The Hawks are a -38 in his minutes, he’s shooting 35% from three, and Atlanta has a 117.8 defensive rating when he’s on the floor, which is a letdown given his reputation on that end.
The wing depth has been thin, too. Corey Kispert has appeared in just six games and logged only 55 total minutes, though he is shooting 55.6% from three.
His defensive issues have been severe. Asa Newell has played in only five games, struggled in all of them, and is currently dealing with an injury.
Mouhamed Gueye and Jalen Wilson have not played at all this season.
The frontcourt picture has been shaped by that lack of depth, along with Onyeka Okongwu’s rough shooting start. Even so, Okongwu has the second-highest plus-minus on the team, and the Hawks are 34 points better with him on the floor than off. He’s shooting just 32.7% from three, but he’s still putting up 13.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG while making an impact defensively.
Jaxson Landale has missed time and hasn’t done much when available. He’s -29 in eight games, is shooting 22.2% from three, and hasn’t provided much on defense.
Rookie Zuby Ejiofor has offered some encouraging flashes in limited minutes, and Quin Snyder may want to give him more run than Landale. Ejiofor is a +10 in his minutes and has shot the ball well while also helping defensively. It hasn’t been enough to push the grade higher, but there is something interesting there.
In Other News...
Hawks Get A Chance To Silence One Early Offensive Concern
The Hawks four-game winning streak came to an end Nov. 9 in Los Angeles, where the Lakers handed Atlanta a 124-114 loss and exposed an early offensive issue the team will want to clean up quickly. Turnovers and stretches of uneven execution made it harder for the Hawks to settle into their rhythm, and the defeat served as a reminder that even a productive offense can get derailed when possessions start slipping away.
A chance to respond arrives Nov. 13 against the Bulls, a matchup that should give Atlanta room to get back on track. Chicago has had its own defensive problems, which makes this a useful measuring stick for the Hawks as they try to sharpen their ball handling and find more consistency after a frustrating night in Los Angeles. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Johnson Must Take Over As Hawks Enter A Brutal Stretch
Jalen Johnson has opened the season with strong statistical averages, but the Hawks need more than production on paper as the schedule starts to tighten. After a recent game against the Lakers, the bigger concern was not what Johnson was capable of, but how aggressively he chose to impose himself on the night. For Atlanta, the next step is clear: its most versatile young forward has to play with more force and set the tone when the game gets heavy.
That challenge only grows as the Hawks move into a brutal stretch against some of the leagues tougher opponents. Atlantas hopes in those matchups are tied closely to Johnsons willingness to be assertive, attack earlier and carry more of the offensive load when the margin for error shrinks. If he can turn his strong start into a more commanding presence, the Hawks have a better chance of holding up through the difficult run ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Made One Early Rotation Mistake They Can't Keep Repeating
The Hawks offense has been at its best this season when Jalen Johnson is helping steer it, and the same goes for Dyson Daniels and Kingston Flemings, two other playmakers who have given Atlanta more ball movement and easier looks. Johnsons breakout year has come with him leading the team in assists, while Daniels and Flemings have also provided enough distribution to keep the attack from getting too stagnant.
Against the Lakers, though, Atlanta learned how fragile that balance can be when too many creators sit at once. The Hawks need at least one of those three on the floor to keep the offense organized and prevent long empty stretches, especially in games where the halfcourt possessions start to tighten up. It is the kind of rotation wrinkle that can swing a quarter quickly, and one Atlanta cannot afford to keep repeating. [Read more 🡒]