The Atlanta Hawks spent last season zigzagging through the kind of year that can either break a team or teach it something useful. They opened with a trade for Kristaps Porzingis that didn’t work out, then moved on from franchise point guard Trae Young. After that, the season started to turn.
Atlanta clawed its way back into the NBA Playoffs after spending part of the year near the 10th seed when the calendar flipped. By the time the postseason arrived, the Hawks had shown enough fight to push the eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks to six games, the only team to take them that far. Even so, the gap was still there.
That gap is what hangs over this roster now. The Hawks have flashed enough to suggest they’re close, but not close enough yet.
And the missing piece looks pretty clear: a true two-way franchise center. Atlanta passed on that kind of player in the draft this year and instead went with a franchise point guard.
For now, the Hawks are set to keep Onyeka Okongwu as the starting center, but he doesn’t quite move the needle enough for a real title run. He brings floor spacing and interior defense, and that mattered a lot during Atlanta’s post-All-Star break surge. His 98.9 defensive rating in that stretch qualified as elite.
The playoffs, though, exposed the limits. Against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks, Okongwu had trouble stopping paint pressure, and New York kept scoring inside while also winning the rebounding battle. He ran into physical disadvantages, couldn’t consistently contest shots, and couldn’t keep the Knicks from controlling the interior.
That doesn’t make him useless by any stretch. Offensively, he’s a solid option.
But in a starting role, the source of Atlanta’s problem is hard to miss: teams can go at him because of his lack of size in the playoffs. He looks more like a bench piece than a player you build a contender around.
The other issue is just as important. Atlanta still doesn’t have a reliable No. 1 option who looks ready to own the moment.
In this year’s playoffs, Jalen Johnson didn’t rise to it; instead, he looked overwhelmed and slipped from what he had shown in the regular season. That left veteran CJ McCollum to carry the load.
McCollum had solid games, but not enough consistency to push the Hawks over the top. Atlanta had multiple star players available this offseason, but chose to stick with a young rebuilding group instead.
So if the Hawks are going to become a legitimate contender, the answer is probably not already on the roster. Still, there’s reason for optimism.
A young team can surprise people, and Atlanta could be one of those clubs that jumps forward when nobody expects it. They could also simply keep building and make a push for the playoffs as a top six seed.
Either way, next season should tell the story.
In Other News...
Kingston Flemings Just Landed A Hawks Role Built For Growth
Kingston Flemings arrived in Atlanta as the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the Hawks are not rushing him into the deep end. Instead, they plan to ease the young guard into a lead role with the second unit, where he can handle the ball and learn the pro game with a little more room to grow.
Atlantas veteran additions of Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and CJ McCollum give the roster more structure around him, and that setup is clearly designed with the future in mind. The idea is for Flemings to develop as a facilitator first, then eventually move toward the starting point guard job once he is ready to take on that responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Face A Risky Kuminga Decision With Real Trade Value At Stake
Jonathan Kuminga has become one of the more complicated names in the Hawks orbit as Atlanta weighs whether to participate in a sign-and-trade framework with the Lakers. Los Angeles has been pushing to get a deal done, and the Hawks have at least been part of the conversation because Kuminga still carries real trade value, even as the negotiations have been slowed by questions about his contract expectations and how well he would fit the role the Lakers have in mind.
The appeal for Atlanta is obvious: Kuminga is the kind of talent that can move the needle if the price and structure are right. But the Hawks are also staring at the downside of committing to a deal that may not fully align with their timeline or roster needs, especially with the Lakers asking them to take on additional moving parts in the process. With the talks still unsettled, Atlanta is left to balance upside against risk while trying to avoid being the team that blinks first. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Smith Calls Out Bam Adebayo Over Controversial Rankings
Joe Johnson and Josh Smith had some fun with Bam Adebayos all-time player list on the Nightcap podcast, and the omission at the center of it turned the conversation into more than just a passing ranking debate. The former Hawks standouts zeroed in on Adebayo leaving LeBron James off the list, a choice that instantly gave the segment a different edge because any list that involves James is going to invite a second round of judgment.
Smith took the sharper route, suggesting Adebayo might be salty because James never joined Miami to play with him. The reaction spilled quickly into social media, where fans weighed in on the omission and on the relationship between Adebayo and James, turning a simple ranking exercise into another reminder of how even casual player lists can become a referendum on motives, respect, and old Heat-era connections. [Read more 🡒]