Preseason has a way of revealing just enough to make you curious, and Atlanta’s first two exhibition games have done exactly that with its forward rotation.
One night, Asa Newell is the ninth man. The next, Zuby Ejiofor is the one getting an earlier look. That kind of swing tells you the Hawks are still sorting out who fits where once the games start counting.
In the opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, Atlanta used nine players in the first half, and Newell - the second-year forward expected to take on a bigger role this season - came off the bench ninth. That looked like a pretty clear early read on the rotation. But the follow-up game against the Spurs changed the picture fast.
Ejiofor, a late first-round pick, had barely gotten involved in the first preseason game, not checking in until more than halfway through the third quarter. For a rookie on a team trying to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference, that didn’t automatically rule out a small role, but it certainly didn’t suggest he was near the center of the plan.
Then came the second outing. Ejiofor wasn’t just worked in late - he got on the floor in the first quarter.
That’s a meaningful shift, even if Jalen Johnson being out for the game may have played a part in the decision. Johnson, Atlanta’s All-NBA forward entering his sixth season, is obviously a major piece.
Still, the staff making room for Ejiofor that early says plenty about how seriously they’re taking him.
The bigger takeaway is that Atlanta’s frontcourt picture looks much healthier than it did a year ago. Last season, once the pressure rose, the Hawks’ lack of depth behind Johnson showed up in a hurry. Zaccharie Risacher wasn’t someone they could lean on in a big bench role, and Corey Kispert wasn’t either.
That’s why adding Ejiofor to a group that already includes Aaron Wiggins, Asa Newell and Mo Gueye mattered. The Hawks clearly wanted more options, and they’ve built them.
So if the final bench spot comes down to Newell or Ejiofor, Atlanta should feel good about either path. For now, the only real certainty is that the last piece of the rotation is still up for grabs.
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That matters because the Hawks have spent the offseason pushing in a similar direction, trying to become tougher and more disruptive on that end of the floor. The comparison does not mean the outcomes will match, but it does raise the bar for what a successful reset can look like in Atlanta. If the Hawks are serious about joining the citys teams in that conversation, the next step is not just adding defense-minded pieces, but proving they can turn the plan into something just as unmistakable as the Dreams. [Read more 🡒]