Atlanta Hawks: Does Onyeka Okongwu make Clint Capela expendable?
Many positive storylines emerged for the Atlanta Hawks despite their loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks. One of the more surprising was the play of rookie big man Onyeka Okongwu. The sixth-overall pick out of USC in the 2020 NBA Draft showed good feet, a soft touch around the rim, and solid defense.
One question that his eye-opening play brings up is whether or not he’s ready to take over as the primary center for a team that obviously plans on being fixtures in the postseason.
It seems like a silly question. Okongwu averaged just 2.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game.
His best game was a six-point, five-rebound effort where he had a block and a steal.
The Atlanta Hawks have a good problem on their hands when it comes to the center position
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Current starter Clint Capela led the league in rebounds, finished third among centers in All-Defensive team voting, and averaged a double-double in the postseason.
His interior defense and toughness were as pivotal in the Hawks turnaround this season as his lobs were exciting.
But as the playoffs progressed, Capela’s impact fluctuated, with him looking like he could control the paint against anyone for some moments and as though he shouldn’t even be a starter in far too many others.
On top of having his hands full with the top centers, as one does in the playoffs, he also struggled more than usual on the offensive end.
He shot 57.3 percent at the free-throw line this season, the second-best mark of his career. But in the playoffs, that number plummeted to 43.6 which is the third-worst mark in seven trips.
For comparison, Okongwu shot 54 percent from the floor (to Capela’s playoff career-worst 33.3 percent), and 66.7 percent from the free-throw line. The problem, again, is the limited playing time Okongwu received.
Their playoff numbers are interestingly similar, though, when viewed per 100 possessions and Onkongwu appeared better equipped to handle Giannis Antetoukounmpo at the five.
It needs to be said that other advanced metrics favored the veteran. For one thing, the rookie needs to clean up the fouls. But even that gap isn’t wide enough to completely dismiss the thought Okongwu could be ready sooner rather than later.
And after the postseason Capela just went through, some could say he handled himself respectably among the best bigs in the East. Others, though, might see the two years and more than $35 million left on his contract and wonder if that money wouldn’t be better spent elsewhere.
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Okongwu’s performance in the playoffs at least hints at a potentially viable alternative.