The Atlanta Hawks may have spent the last few seasons chasing defense, but the scoring picture still came down to a familiar pair last year.
Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker shared the team lead in clutch scoring, helping Atlanta rank inside the NBA’s top 10 in that category. The Hawks averaged 9.9 points in the final five minutes of games within five points, a mark that came over 35 games and 127 minutes. Johnson and Alexander-Walker were part of 123 of those minutes, which tells you how often the offense ran through them when the game tightened up.
That same duo also paced Atlanta’s overall scoring. Johnson posted a career-high 22.5 points per game, while Alexander-Walker followed at 20.8.
Both were coming off huge individual leaps, too. Johnson made the All-Star team and All-NBA, and Alexander-Walker was named Most Improved Player after an 11-point jump.
The postseason told a slightly different story. Both players saw their scoring dip, and veteran CJ McCollum ended up tied with Johnson at 19 points per game to lead the Hawks in the playoffs.
So with Atlanta opting to keep building off last season’s retooling rather than making a major move, the safest bet is that the scoring race stays in the same neighborhood. With little roster turnover, Johnson and Alexander-Walker look set to battle for the top spot again.
Basketball-Reference projects Johnson to finish ahead of Alexander-Walker, 21.8 points per game to 19.2. That lines up with the idea that the two will keep carrying much of the offensive load.
Johnson is the one who stands out as the most likely leader. A projection of 23 points per game feels like the natural next step, with Alexander-Walker at 21. The continuity on the roster gives both players a chance to keep pushing forward, and it also leaves room for another name to enter the conversation.
Onyeka Okongwu is the one to watch there. He was third on the Hawks in points per game and has increased his scoring every season. Last year he averaged 15.2 points, and he’s projected to rise to 17.4, which would put him on the edge of the 20-point conversation.
None of this is locked in, of course, but Atlanta does have a young core with enough scoring punch to make things interesting in the East this season.
In Other News...
Jonathan Kuminga's New Situation Could Change How Hawks Fans Feel
Jonathan Kumingas move to Minnesota has plenty of ripple effects for teams that were watching his market closely, including Atlanta. The forward landed with the Timberwolves on a two-year deal and will enter a situation built around defense first, with his agent Aaron Turner pointing to the fit and the flexibility that comes with a player option in the second season. For a player still trying to carve out the right long-term lane, the setting matters as much as the contract.
Robert Horry has already raised the question that hangs over Kumingas next step, wondering whether his offensive chances could be limited in Minnesota. That kind of concern is exactly why this landing spot is getting attention around the league, because it could shape how Kuminga is viewed over the next couple of seasons and whether he is back on the market again in 2027. For Hawks fans tracking the wider conference picture, it is another reminder that one young talents choice can change the way the rest of the league evaluates the next move. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Front Office Shift Signals A Very Different Atlanta Plan
The Hawks have spent the early part of this offseason reshaping the people in charge as much as the roster itself, and the latest move is another sign the organization wants a different kind of structure moving forward. Atlanta has already brought in Tim Bontemps as a strategic advisor and moved on from Kyle Korver, changes that have underscored a broader front office reset around the teams long-term direction.
Peter Dinwiddie is now the latest addition to that evolving setup, with the Hawks elevating him into a key basketball operations role as they continue building around flexibility. Atlanta has put itself in a position to be patient, with a healthy cap situation and a stockpile of draft assets that give the franchise plenty of options as it tries to decide when and how to make its next move. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Give A Familiar Summer Standout A Real Chance To Impress
Devon Higgs got his next shot with Atlanta on Sept. 8, when the Hawks signed him to a training camp contract and brought back a familiar face from summer ball. Hell be around the team for practices and media day as he tries to turn a strong audition into something more permanent heading into the NBA season.
Higgs already gave the Hawks a glimpse of why he has lingered on their radar, flashing scoring punch and athleticism during Summer League. He was also one of Atlantas more productive scorers in Las Vegas, and that kind of production is exactly what can keep a player in the conversation when the roster starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]