Season report card for Atlanta Hawks sophomore Onyeka Okongwu

The Atlanta Hawks started the season behind the eight-ball. They had so many players needing offseason procedures that they had no chance of developing chemsitry as a unit. One of these players was Onyeka Okongwu who missed the first few months of the season thanks to shoulder surgery.

It is not a coincidence that after Okongwu returned the Hawks improved on defense and this also translated to their offense. While Okongwu is not an offensive threat outside the paint, his effort, energy and movement make him extremely difficult to stop.

Okongwu actually came back early from his injury, which is testament to the work ethic of the sophomore. He started to show his value straight away, being given some well-deserved responsibility before Covid-19  cut short his return.

The Atlanta Hawks have a tremendous future with Onyeka Okongwu.

While Okongwu is undersized to play the pivot, only standing 6’8″, he plays well above his size. He also showed that he could play consecutive games with big minutes, only missing two games with injury after he returned, not counting the Covid-19 crisis that he was part of.

There were several games where his play kept starting center Clint Capela on the bench during the final period. Defensively Okongwu was able to shut down the opposition when they came into the paint but as mentioned earlier, he was also impressive offensively.

Okongwu had 11 games where he did not miss a shot. Seven of these Okongwu took four or more shots which is solid. He is always cutting to the rim to get a dunk on the pick and roll, he has a shot which starts at the hip which is also surprisingly effective.

Last season it took Lou Williams coming to the franchise for Okongwu to start unlocking his offense. The connection that these two shared was beautiful to see, and that connection only strengthened this season. However, he also showed the ability to develop chemistry with all possible partners in the pick and roll, making this team harder to defend when he is on the court.

Okongwu only had half a season to continue his on-court development and he did not waste a second. The best news for the Hawks is that Okongwu is looking to come back next season with a jumpshot which will be a tremendous asset for the Hawks.

Season grade: B – with marks taken off for time missed.