The Hawks are already at a crossroads five games into the season, and the problem is staring them right in the face: the frontcourt isn’t holding up, and the rotation might not be deep enough to fix it.
Atlanta has kept things tight so far, sticking to nine players in the nightly mix and only reaching beyond that when the game is basically out of hand. Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor have barely been part of the picture. The only time either one has checked in this season came late in Atlanta’s 47-point win over the Charlotte Hornets.
That looks increasingly hard to ignore.
After a promising rookie season, Newell may deserve a real chance, especially with Atlanta getting beaten on the boards. Even if that’s all he provides at first, the rebounding help alone would matter. The Hawks need something, and they need it soon because the schedule is only getting tougher from here.
The issue showed up in a big way over the last three games. Atlanta’s losses to the Houston Rockets were made worse by a brutal shooting stretch, with the team finishing under 30% from deep in both contests.
The 3-point work improved against the Miami Heat, but that didn’t solve the larger problem. Miami controlled the glass, and Atlanta’s size disadvantage was easy to see.
That’s where a broader rotation starts to make sense. The Hawks do not need to blow up their starting group, and they don’t need to pull anyone currently playing out of the rotation. But adding another body or two, even if it pushes them into a 10-man group, could help them survive the punishment they’re taking inside.
Newell and Ejiofor both bring what Atlanta is missing. They’re strong rebounders, and they’d give the Hawks more size when opponents start pressing them down low. It wouldn’t transform the team overnight, but it would at least address an obvious weakness.
The larger goal is still finding the right nine-man core. Right now, though, that formula isn’t working.
Both newcomers have first-round pedigree, and Atlanta had real interest in Newell at the spot where it was originally scheduled to pick before moving back and landing him anyway. Ejiofor came with more college experience and didn’t require any trade-down maneuvering.
Newell offers more polish on offense. Ejiofor has the edge on defense.
If Atlanta isn’t ready to test both at once, then it has to decide which trait it values more as it tries to patch a frontcourt problem that keeps showing up. For now, the Hawks could use every bit of help they can get near the basket.
In Other News...
Hawks Could Catch A Break If Cavs Lose Two Key Rotation Pieces
Clevelands injury report has given Atlanta a small opening ahead of a matchup that could matter in the early standings. Jaylon Tyson and Meleek Thomas are both listed as questionable for the Cavaliers because of a cervical strain and right foot soreness, and both have been part of the rotation in the seasons opening stretch.
For the Hawks, the timing is worth watching because Cleveland is still chasing a fourth straight win and expects its starters to be available. If those two rotation pieces cannot go, the Cavaliers would have a thinner bench and a little less flexibility in a game Atlanta could use to test a team trying to keep its momentum rolling. [Read more 🡒]
CJ McCollum May Be Shaping A Hawks Backcourt Change Already
Kingston Flemings made a strong case for a larger role in Atlantas home loss to Miami, turning a bench opportunity into the kind of performance that tends to linger with a coaching staff. The young guard put up a career-high 23 points in 28 minutes, giving the Hawks a jolt while working alongside a backcourt that has been shifting in real time.
CJ McCollums presence still looms over that conversation, even with the veteran not on the floor to finish the game as the staff went with the hotter hand. Flemings was quick to point to McCollums guidance and the way the veteran has helped him grow, which adds another layer to a situation that already feels like it could influence Atlantas backcourt mix before long. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Need Their Offense To Bail Out A Troubling Early Problem
The Hawks return home trying to snap a three-game losing streak after back-to-back losses to Houston and Miami, a stretch that has put an early spotlight on the other end of the floor. Atlantas offense has been good enough to keep them in games, but the defensive issues from the first five contests have left little margin for error, especially against a Cleveland team that brings plenty of shot-making to the table on the second stop of its road swing.
Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have been part of the steady offensive pressure Atlanta needs, and Aaron Wiggins has given them another useful scoring option since arriving from Oklahoma City. Still, the bigger question is whether the Hawks can tighten up enough to make that scoring matter, because Cleveland is set to lean on Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Peyton Watson in a matchup that could quickly turn into a test of which team can withstand the most defensive strain. [Read more 🡒]