An avalanche of dunks is due in Atlanta if two pieces quiet the doubters

Dunking the basketball is fun. Well, for you and me - watching our favorite players dunk is fun. From a pure strategy standpoint, dunking the ball is also incredibly beneficial to the success of a team - it's the most efficient shot in all of basketball.

If you've been a fan of the Hawks during the Trae Young era, you've seen more than a handful of dunks. Young's ability to set teammates up for easy interior looks is arguably second to none in today's NBA. But what if those dunks came even easier, and in higher volume? You don't have to imagine if two key pieces can fall into place this year.

The first piece of the puzzle is The Unicorn. The addition of Kristaps Porziņgis came out of left field this offseason - and it has the potential to completely change the way the Hawks approach the offensive end of the floor. Porziņģis' ability to stretch the floor for the Celtics over the last two campaigns has not only allowed for ludicrously efficient scoring from deep - 39.23% on 5.48 attempts per game - but also an unseen benefit for his teammates.

Hawks fans know firsthand how dangerous Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can be. With Porzingis present, this dynamic duo exploded from a pair of efficient creators working from the outside-in to an aggressive tandem with laser-focus for the rim - and largely thanks to The Unicorn.

With Porzingis on the floor over the last two seasons, Tatum increased his rim frequency (percent of total shots taken at the rim) from a respectable 22.6% to a whopping 30.4%. Brown also saw an eye-popping increase from 25.9% to 33.5%. What did this mean for defenses? Tatum and Brown were both getting to the rim approximately 30% more often with Porzingis on the court than off - a death knell for any opposing coach, and a dream for coach Joe Mazzulla.

This increase in rim frequency for the on-ball creators of the C's should bear the same fruit for Atlanta's creators next season - if Porzingis can stay healthy, which has unfortunately been a nagging thorn in his side over the last handful of campaigns. As with many gargantuan players touting heights above 7 feet and even lengthier wingspans, Porzingis has suffered numerous ailments throughout his time in the league.

In 2018, a left ACL tear derailed what was looking to become a perennial All-NBA type career. After a successful recovery, knee issues plagued Porziņģis in 2020; calf and hamstring strains in 2021-2022; and most notably in recent history, a torn medial retinaculum in his left leg in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, sidelining Porzingis for the remainder of the series.

Porziņģis also missed 40 games – nearly half of the NBA regular season – last campaign, due to lingering injuries and illness. Additionally, The Unicorn failed to log more than 24 minutes in a single game in the six-game carnage of a series against New York – a result of lingering post-viral syndrome.

With this extensive injury history in mind, the first piece of the puzzle for Atlanta to get to the rim more than ever before is to keep the Unicorn galloping along as long as possible during the ever-grueling 82-game campaign. A polarizing strategy employed by the league's great minds for their star players over the last decade - load management - or at least, minutes management - is more than feasible for KP (while still playing winning basketball) thanks to the second key piece.

The second piece of the puzzle: Okongwu's development as a shooter

Onyeka Okongwu has come a long way as a shooter. Turning 25 this season, the former 6th overall pick has proven to be a valuable asset, especially as a switchable rim protector on the defensive end, and as a dynamic lob threat on the offensive end.

Okongwu's excellence in other categories has overshadowed his steady development as a shooter - especially in the corners of the court. A steady increase in corner 3's attempted each season looks to continue in the coming campaign - in an ideal world, The Unicorn can help fast-track Okongwu to reaching his potential as a shooter in the near future.

Okongwu's shooting ability has long been an item of controversy amongst Hawks fans - debating whether the youngster should commit to interior dominance or a more modern, dynamic game has yet to be fully answered by the Hawks organization and Okongwu himself.

The addition of Porziņģis could potentially sway Quin Snyder and others in the Hawks coaching core to go all-in on Okongwu's shooting development - the opportunity to learn from one of the league's most lethal long-range threats throughout an entire season might just be too difficult to ignore.

The ultimate benefit of having access to bigs that can space the floor is the removal of a rim protector from his most comfortable position - protecting the rim. If KP and Okongwu can draw opposing 5's out to the arc, the interior is left vulnerable through this 5-out offense strategy.

Throughout his head coaching career, Quin Snyder has not once rostered a starting center with the ability to space the floor for his star guard - next season, he may have two. If Porziņģis can stay healthy and Okongwu can continue his development as a shooter, the interior projects to be wide open all season long for the Hawks to throw down a plethora of dunks each game. Well, everyone except Young - he'll likely stick to laying the ball up.