The Hawks have put together a perimeter defense that can make life miserable for opponents. Dyson Daniels is already one of the league’s premier perimeter stoppers.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker gives them another very good defender. Onyeka Okongwu brings underrated help defense.
Atlanta also added Lu Dort, one of the game’s best defenders, along with Aaron Wiggins, a versatile wing who still has room to grow on that end.
Even with all that in place, the biggest swing factor for Atlanta’s defense next season might be Jalen Johnson.
Johnson’s season was shaped in part by the offensive burden he had to carry for stretches, but his defensive play was still well below what the Hawks need from him. He was late getting where he needed to be, whether that meant rotating to stop cuts at the rim or holding up against bigger wings in isolation. Too often, he was simply out of position.
That matters because Atlanta’s offseason upgrades should make the team better defensively right away. But if Johnson takes a real step on that side of the floor, the Hawks’ defense could move from good to something much more dangerous.
The one area Atlanta still looks short on is rim protection. Okongwu is a solid defender, but not a true rim protector, and Jock Landale is described as a shaky defender. Johnson isn’t a rim protector either, but with so many strong defenders around him on the perimeter, he can be used more as a deterrent this season.
A lead guard like McCollum should also help keep Johnson engaged defensively, since he won’t be asked to carry sky-high usage this year. When Trae Young went down early in the season, the Hawks had to put everything through Johnson, and that pulled away from his defense. Even so, the playoffs showed the lapses are still there when he isn’t carrying the entire offense.
With Dort, Daniels, NAW, Okongwu, and Wiggins all giving Atlanta options on the perimeter, the Hawks should be one of the better defensive teams in the league. If Johnson fully locks in and becomes the defender he can be, this group has a chance to become one of the truly elite defenses in the NBA.
In Other News...
Hawks Just Made A Point Guard Bet With Huge Upside
Atlanta added a new piece to its backcourt in the 2026 NBA Draft, taking Houston point guard Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 pick. It was a notable first-round swing for a team that has spent plenty of time searching for a long-term answer at the position, and Flemings arrives with the kind of profile that makes front offices dream a little bigger than the usual draft-night reset.
Flemings is viewed as a talented guard who could grow into a starting point guard, but the path there still comes with real developmental checkpoints. His finishing at the rim and three-point shooting both need work, which is why the conversation around him is less about what he is right now and more about what he might become if the growth comes quickly enough. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Bench Shakeup Officially Closes The Book On One Trade Gamble
The Hawks bench makeover has now come full circle, with Jonathan Kuminga landing in Minnesota after a short and messy detour through Atlantas roster plans. Once the Hawks moved on from him and added Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort to bolster their second unit, the shape of the offseason gamble became clearer, and the front office quietly shifted from uncertainty to a more defined rotation picture.
Minnesotas two-year deal with Kuminga officially closes the loop on a decision Atlanta had already made when it declined his team option for the 2026-27 season. That choice pushed Kuminga into unrestricted free agency, leaving the Hawks to chase different answers for depth and defensive help while the Timberwolves stepped in with a fresh opportunity. [Read more 🡒]