The Hawks have spent most of the offseason building out a deeper, more flexible group, but the biggest job still sits in front of Quin Snyder: figuring out how all of it actually fits once the season starts in October.
Atlanta has already done the heavy lifting. The front office brought back CJ McCollum and Jock Landale, then added Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar through the draft, along with Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Devin Carter, and Ryan Nembhard via trade. The roster looks different now, and the rotation has to follow.
At the top, the starting five looks set. The Hawks are expected to open with CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu.
Dort’s arrival created some debate about whether he could push into that group, but the better fit appears to be as a bench piece. He gives Atlanta another tough perimeter defender, and that role makes more sense than forcing the issue in the first unit.
That starting group flashed real upside after the All-Star Break, even if there’s some fair skepticism about how much of that run was shaped by the number of tanking teams on the schedule. This season should be a cleaner test. There will be fewer easy nights around the league, so that lineup has to prove it can carry the same weight without the softer matchups helping it along.
The bench is where things get more interesting. Flemings, Dort, Wiggins, and Landale look like the top four reserves, and Snyder will have to sort out how they mix with different starters and different game plans. Atlanta has options, but the combinations won’t all work the same way.
One thing the Hawks may lose in the process is some frontcourt flexibility. Last season, Atlanta liked the idea of pairing Okongwu with Kristaps Porzingis. That kind of look does not appear likely with Landale in the mix, which changes the way Snyder can stack his bigs.
Dort’s fit next to Dyson Daniels is another immediate talking point. Daniels shot just 18% from three last season, so spacing is a real concern there.
Dort has had seasons where his jumper was much more reliable, but last year he struggled too. Outside of the three-point line, he does not bring much offensive value.
Daniels, on the other hand, at least gives Atlanta strong rebounding and solid playmaking.
Wiggins may end up being the easiest reserve to plug into almost any lineup. His shooting and defense give him real value across different groupings, even if he is not someone who is going to run the offense.
The backup power forward spot also has some real uncertainty. Mo Gueye has the most experience and is already a proven defender, but he is going to miss the start of the season with a foot injury.
That opens the door for both Newell and Ejiofor to get chances off the bench. Newell showed some interesting offensive ability, but he has to improve defensively to stick as a regular NBA rotation player.
Ejiofor came into the league with questions about size and shooting, though he looked strong in Summer League.
Devin Carter and Ryan Nembhard are still in the mix if injuries create opportunities, but neither is locked into nightly minutes, and both could even be moved before the season.
As for Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, and Henri Veesaar, they do not appear to be part of the rotation this season.
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