The Atlanta Hawks are heading into opening night with most of the same core intact, but one issue from last season still hangs over the roster: offensive rebounding.
Atlanta isn’t exactly bringing back the same team piece for piece. The starting five is expected to return, and the bench now includes some new names in No. 8 overall pick Kingston Flemings, former Oklahoma City forwards Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins, and the return of Jock Landale. The Hawks also took a younger approach in the draft and added depth in hopes of strengthening the second unit after finishing 20-6 following the All-Star Break.
That said, one offensive weakness still needs attention before the games start counting.
The Hawks were never a broken offense last season, including during that strong post-All-Star Break push to the playoffs. But there was one area where they clearly lagged: cleaning up misses on the offensive glass. Atlanta finished tied for 18th in the NBA in offensive rebounding, and per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks posted an offensive rebounding percentage of 27.5%, which landed them in the 20th percentile.
With so much of the roster coming back, the question is simple: did the Hawks do enough to fix it?
The new additions do not offer an obvious quick cure. Devin Carter was the only incoming player who showed a positive impact on offensive rebounding, but that came in a small sample and he is not guaranteed to be on the team, much less on the floor, when the season begins. Dort, Wiggins, and Nembhard were all either below average or outright poor offensive rebounders, with Nembhard’s 5-foot-11 frame naturally working against him in that area.
Atlanta was better in other possession battles. The Hawks ranked 6th in turnover percentage and 12th in offensive rebounding percentage allowed, so the overall picture was not bleak. Still, improving on the offensive glass would give them another edge and make that possession battle even stronger.
The clearest path to progress may come from the returnees. Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jock Landale will need to raise their ORB% this season, with Okongwu carrying the biggest load since he is expected to play starter minutes.
Among the rookies, Zuby Ejiofor looks like the one who could help most right away, though his role is not settled. With the Mouhamed Gueye injury news, he has a chance to crack the rotation.
It is not an easy problem to solve, and unless Atlanta makes a meaningful roster move before the season, this remains one of the numbers the Hawks have to improve.
In Other News...
Keaton Wallace's Exit Clears Another Hawks Roster Headache
Keaton Wallace is moving on from Atlanta after signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a change that sends the backup guard overseas and reunites him with former Hawks forward Jacob Toppin. Wallace never had a big role with the Hawks, but he was a steady presence when called upon, giving the team dependable minutes in a limited reserve capacity.
For Atlanta, his exit does more than thin out the back end of the guard rotation. It adds another bit of roster flexibility at a time when the Hawks are still sorting out the rest of their team, and that kind of breathing room can matter as decisions around the final spots continue to come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Jacob Toppin's Hawks Exit Raises One Frustrating What-If
Jacob Toppins run through Atlanta never really got a clean chance to breathe. After being waived by the Hawks, he spent time with the club and its G League affiliate while working his way back from a shoulder injury, then showed up again in the 2026 summer league as he tried to give the team another reason to keep him around. Instead, roster constraints pushed the decision in a different direction, closing the door on a player who had barely had enough court time to show what he could do.
Now there is a fresh landing spot for Toppin, who has signed a three-year contract with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. For the Hawks, it leaves behind the familiar frustration of a what-if: a young player who had limited opportunities, battled through injury and still seemed to be on the edge of a longer look, only to move on before Atlanta could fully answer what he might have become in its system. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks May Be One Injury Away From A Familiar Frontcourt Problem
Atlanta spent the offseason trying to add younger legs and more depth, using the draft to bring in Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar while also swinging trades for Aaron Wiggins, Luguentz Dort and Devin Carter. Even after all that movement, the Hawks made one of their quieter but more important moves by bringing back Jock Landale, a bid to shore up the middle after the Kristaps Porzingis trade left the frontcourt thinner than it would have liked.
The starting group is expected to stay intact, so the real pressure point is the reserve center spot and how well Landale holds up in it. Atlanta already got a reminder of how quickly that position can become an issue, and with limited proven alternatives behind him, any extended absence would force the Hawks toward some uncomfortable solutions again. [Read more 🡒]