With one preseason game left and the regular season opener at Orlando now just a week away, the Atlanta Hawks are finally starting to show a clearer picture of how their rotation might settle in.
The biggest catch so far has been availability. Atlanta has not had its full group on the floor together for every preseason outing, and in the last game against the Pacers, the Hawks held out almost all of their top seven players. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the only starter who saw the court.
Even with that limited sample, there have been enough hints to read where this group is headed. The starting five never got a full preseason run together, but the Hawks did build some late-season chemistry, and that unit still projects as one of the stronger starting groups in the Eastern Conference once games count for real.
The individual flashes have been there, too. Jalen Johnson turned heads against the Pacers last Saturday.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had first-half scoring bursts of 13 and 17 points against the Grizzlies and Thunder. Onyeka Okongwu put up 18 against the Pacers.
CJ McCollum also shot the ball well. There’s still a chance for some early-season rough patches, especially against defenses like Orlando and Houston, but the talent at the top of the roster is obvious.
Behind the starters, the bench picture is coming into focus as well. Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Kingston Flemings, Mouhamed Gueye, and Jock Landale look like the players most likely to sit near the top of the nightly rotation.
Before preseason even started, Dort, Wiggins, and Landale looked like the first three bench options. Flemings has pushed his way into that conversation.
The rookie has played well enough - and earned two starts - to suggest he’s going to have a real role. He has looked comfortable in every game, and while the ups and downs that come with being a rookie are inevitable, he’s giving Hawks fans plenty to like.
Gueye is another key piece once he gets back from injury. The expectation is that he takes over as the backup power forward.
Asa Newell has had chances there in preseason, but pairing Newell and Landale on defense would be a difficult fit. Gueye should make that easier and help give Atlanta a stronger defensive group with Dort, Daniels, and Alexander-Walker.
After that, the rotation gets a little murkier. Corey Kispert, Dorian Finney-Smith, Zuby Ejiofor, Asa Newell, Keshon Gilbert, RayJ Dennis, and Jalen Wilson could all have nights when they get on the floor.
Kispert has played a good amount in preseason, but his shooting has been inconsistent and the defensive issues make him harder to trust regularly. Finney-Smith is still getting up to speed with the team and has not had a major preseason role.
Newell could open the season in the rotation if Gueye isn’t ready, but his defense has to improve if he’s going to stay on the court. Ejiofor is set to be the team’s third center and can also spend time at power forward, though if everyone stays healthy, this could end up being more of a developmental year for him in College Park.
The Hawks also have a promising group of two-way players, and either Dennis or Wilson could force his way into action at some point.
In Other News...
Hawks Still Have One Roster Hole They May Need To Trade For
The Hawks have spent preseason trying to sort out a few lingering roster questions, and the biggest ones remain on the defensive end. Atlanta has looked for more stability behind the starting group, especially at backup power forward and in that tricky third-center spot, where the margin for error gets thin quickly once injuries or foul trouble show up. For a team trying to firm up its identity, those are not minor details.
One proposed fix would send Josh Hart, Corey Kispert, Asa Newell and future second-round picks from Atlanta to the Clippers in exchange for a more dependable third center and some defensive depth. It is the kind of deal that would ripple beyond the Hawks, since the Knicks and Clippers would also have to weigh the roster and contract fallout, but it speaks to a basic reality Atlanta may still be facing: even after preseason, one more move could be needed to close the gap. [Read more 🡒]
Zuby Ejiofor Just Gave Hawks Fans Hope For A Real Weakness
A few encouraging signs emerged for Atlanta in the recent matchup with Oklahoma City, and Zuby Ejiofor was right in the middle of it. Playing 23 minutes off the bench, he finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists while giving Quin Snyder useful minutes behind Jock Landale. The most eye-catching part was on the glass, where Ejiofor kept possessions alive and flashed the kind of energy the Hawks have been looking for.
For a team still sorting out its identity, that kind of bench production matters. Atlanta has been searching for more bite in the rebounding battle, and Ejiofors showing offered a reminder that help can come from unexpected places while the roster continues to develop. It was one game, but it was the sort of performance that can make a weakness feel a little less fixed. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Fans Can Finally Say What Bronny Coverage Exposed
The conversation around Bronny James has taken up plenty of oxygen this season, but Gilbert Arenas recently pointed out something Hawks fans have noticed too: the No. 1 pick in 2024, Zaccharie Risacher, has not drawn nearly the same level of national attention. While Bronny came into the league as a late second-round selection and every move has been dissected, Risacher has mostly flown under the radar despite carrying far bigger draft expectations and a much more direct role in Atlantas long-term plans.
DeMarcus Cousins added another layer to that imbalance by noting that Risacher is rarely mentioned in the usual debates about European and American players, even though his profile should make him part of the conversation. For the Hawks, it is a reminder that scrutiny in the NBA is not always tied to draft position or opportunity, and that a player can be shaping the narrative around him without much of the league realizing it. [Read more 🡒]