The Hawks may not have landed the offseason headline move some fans were waiting for, but their two first-round rookies are starting to make a case that the real upgrade could already be in-house.
Atlanta’s depth has been helped by Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort, both of whom have been fantastic contributors through the first couple weeks of the season. Still, if the Hawks are going to make real noise, they need more than solid bench help. They need Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor to look like players who can shape games, not just fill minutes.
Flemings, the No. 8 overall pick in a draft class many believe could go down as historic, arrived with a reputation built on defense, maturity and control. At Houston, he was a freshman standout who didn’t lean on flash.
He won with poise, passing and a low mistake rate. That profile has carried over immediately in Atlanta.
In the Hawks’ 120-105 win over the Wizards, Flemings started and delivered one of his best early pro outings. He finished with 14 points, four assists and a 6-for-9 night from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three-point range, in 23 minutes. The scoring is starting to catch up to the rest of his game, which matters because offense was always the swing skill for his NBA ceiling.
The early numbers back that up. Flemings is averaging 8.0 points per game, shooting better than 50% from the field and hitting nearly half of his threes.
He’s also handing out almost five assists per game in just 21 minutes while keeping turnovers in check. The pace clearly isn’t rattling him, and the season is still barely underway.
By April, he could be in the conversation as one of Atlanta’s best players.
Ejiofor’s start has been quieter, but Wednesday offered a strong reminder of why the Hawks used a first-round pick on him. The late first-rounder put up 11 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in only 17 minutes against Washington, and that kind of all-around impact should earn him a longer look even when the roster is fully healthy.
What Ejiofor brings is energy that shows up everywhere. He defends with purpose, attacks the glass and has unusually good hands for his size.
That was a big part of his value at St. John’s, where he earned first-round consideration without being elite in any single category.
Players like that matter, especially when the games tighten up later in the season. If he strings together more performances like this one, Ejiofor should settle into the Hawks’ rotation on a regular basis.
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 🡒]