The Atlanta Hawks are closing out the preseason in good shape, and Monday night’s win over the Oklahoma City Thunder gave them a third straight victory with one game still left before they head to Orlando for the season opener next Wednesday.
With both teams sitting most of their rotation, there was only so much you could take away from the matchup. Still, a few things stood out from the Hawks’ latest win.
Mouhamed Gueye’s absence has been one of the more notable preseason storylines. He has not played because of a foot injury he suffered this summer, but he entered camp as the favorite to back up at power forward. Even without training camp or any preseason run, that still looks like the likeliest outcome.
Neither Asa Newell nor Zuby Ejiofor did enough to clearly push him aside. Ejiofor has mostly filled the third-center role in the preseason, while Newell has had a tougher time making a case for steady rotation minutes.
He started Monday’s game and went 3-14 from the field and 1-9 from three. Add in the lack of consistent defensive impact, and it has been an uneven preseason for him.
That has left the door open for Gueye to reclaim his place.
Another player who made a real impression was Keaton Wallace Johnson. He has seen limited action this preseason, but he logged just under 10 minutes Monday and made them count.
Johnson finished with 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals, and he came up with a clutch offensive rebound and steal late in the Hawks’ win. After what he showed in Summer League, it’s easy to see the progress he has made, even if he is unlikely to get NBA minutes this season.
A big G League year feels like the next step.
Dominick Barlow Finney-Smith is still a fairly recent addition, having been acquired a few weeks ago from the Charlotte Hornets, and the preseason usage suggests he is not close to being a major piece for Atlanta. With most of the top rotation resting, he still played a little more than 17 minutes and scored eight points with two made threes.
It was the only preseason game in which he topped 10 minutes, and while he may simply need more time to settle in, the minutes suggest Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, and Zuby Ejiofor are ahead of him unless something changes.
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 🡒]
Hawks Rotation Battle Is Heating Up Right Before The Opener
With one preseason game left before the opener in Orlando, the Hawks are still sorting through a rotation that has not been fully available for evaluation. Key players have sat out at different points, which has left the staff balancing recent strong showings from Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu and CJ McCollum against the bigger question of how the group will actually fit once the games count.
Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort, Kingston Flemings, Mouhamed Gueye and Jock Landale are shaping up as the top rotation candidates, with Flemings expected to have a meaningful bench role. Beyond that, the picture remains fluid for Corey Kispert, Dorian Finney-Smith, Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor, whose minutes could swing depending on health and how they perform in the final tune-up. [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 🡒]