The Hawks didn’t spend the offseason chasing the kind of blockbuster move that kept the rest of the league buzzing. Instead, Atlanta leaned into continuity, kept its young core intact, and filled in around the edges with Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins. On opening night, that approach looked a lot more interesting than it did on paper.
The biggest reason is depth. Atlanta’s bench, which a season ago against the Knicks in the playoffs was basically Jonathan Kuminga and not much else, now includes two players who were key pieces on an NBA championship team with the Oklahoma City Thunder a couple of years ago. Dort and Wiggins combined for 24 points off the second unit, and that kind of production changes the shape of a roster fast.
Jock Landale added another layer. He missed last year’s series with the Knicks because of injury, but in this one he gave the Hawks 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, plus three assists and two rebounds.
Atlanta went with a nine-man rotation, and rookie eighth overall pick Kingston Flemings logged 15 minutes too. Even the players who didn’t get on the floor - Dorian Finney-Smith, Zuby Ejiofor, Corey Kispert, and Asa Newell - give this group options over the course of an 82-game season.
That’s a different kind of luxury for this team.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker also made a statement. Sometimes a Most Improved Player season turns out to be a peak instead of a launch point, but he looked like the guy who intends to keep climbing.
He was the Hawks’ best player on opening night, hitting five of eight from deep and finishing with 31 points. His back-to-back threes in the final 90 seconds effectively closed the door.
That kind of showing raises a simple question: can he take another step in his second year with Atlanta? If he does, the Hawks start looking a lot more dangerous later in the season.
The rookies, though, had a quieter night. Atlanta added two first-round picks in Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor this offseason, but they combined for just 15 minutes and zero points. Ejiofor did not see the floor, and Flemings went 0-for-5.
It wasn’t much of an impact, but it’s also a reminder of where this roster stands. The Hawks are built to win now, and the depth chart is crowded.
Both rookies will have to earn their minutes, and both will need time to adjust to this level. Trae Young’s rookie year is the example here: he struggled early before turning into one of the game’s best point guards.
For now, Atlanta doesn’t need either rookie to do heavy lifting. The Hawks can bring them along gradually and hope that by midseason they’re helping a team with real Eastern Conference contender ambitions.
In Other News...
Hawks Win Over Magic Ends With Rivalry Tension Fans Will Notice
The Hawks opened their Southeast Division schedule with a 132-125 win over Orlando, extending their recent edge in the matchup to six straight. It was the kind of game that had enough offense to feel like a statement and enough edge to feel personal, with Paolo Banchero pouring in 35 points for the Magic while Jalen Johnson answered with 20 points and 14 rebounds for Atlanta.
The competitive tone carried into the final seconds, and the finish had a little more bite than a typical regular-season opener. After the final horn, the emotions spilled over between Banchero and Johnson, with teammates and staff stepping in to calm things down and keep the moment from turning into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Quin Snyder May Already Have A New Hawks Closer
In the Hawks season opener against the Magic, Aaron Wiggins quickly found himself in the kind of role teams usually reserve for players they trust when the game tightens. Quin Snyder leaned on him for meaningful minutes throughout the night, a sign that the newcomer was not just filling space in the rotation but was already being treated like someone who could stay on the floor when it mattered.
Wiggins rewarded that trust with a steady two-way showing, mixing scoring with activity on the glass and in the passing lanes while knocking down shots from deep. For a Hawks team still sorting out its late-game identity this early in the season, the bigger question is how long this level of confidence from Snyder lasts and whether Wiggins can keep turning opportunity into a closing role. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Try To Stay Unbeaten With One Roster Question Looming
After opening the season with a win over Orlando, the Hawks head into their matchup with the Hornets with an early chance to build on that momentum. Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels helped set the tone in the opener, and Atlanta has already shown enough to suggest its rotation can withstand a few bumps this early in the schedule.
The injury report, though, gives the Hawks one lingering roster wrinkle to sort through. Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar are both out, with Gueye still working back from a summer foot injury and Veesaar sidelined for the season, leaving Atlanta to keep juggling depth as it tries to stay unbeaten. [Read more 🡒]