Atlanta Hawks Guard-Forward Vit Krejci faced numerous challenges during the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket. He returned to Atlanta without earning a single win for his home country of Czechia. His struggles have made fans skeptical, as the 25-year-old prepares for a significant role in the Hawks' second unit.
Atlanta is due for a resurgence this season, so the front office will have him under a magnifying glass, even on the bench. General Manager Onsi Saleh has done an excellent job of surrounding Trae Young with a plethora of new acquisitions, significantly improving the roster. Now that they finally have an elite ensemble, Krejci must prove he can perform in this new era of Atlanta basketball with higher stakes.
Vit performed poorly in all five games, with a poor field goal percentage and multiple turnovers. He failed to demonstrate any significant improvements despite being in the starting lineup. Nonetheless, he remained aggressive despite the adversity and averaged 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 29% across five games.
Unfortunately, his best performance of 11 points came in a blowout loss, 109-75 to teammate Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia, encapsulating the lackluster run by Czechia in their final game of The EuroBasket. The tournament was a dreadful experience for Vit, but it was enlightening for the new front office.
It’s clear they’re being very meticulous about their plans going forward, and Young’s contract dispute is a prime example of this. Seeing the new culture that's being established in Atlanta, Krejci could be off the team by the 2026 NBA All-Star break if his struggles continue into the season.
Krejci still has a role on this Hawks team
After three years with the Hawks, Krejci has proven to be a valuable role player and a reliable three-point shooter, averaging 41.7%. Whenever his minutes increased last season, he rose to the occasion, and by April, he was shooting an impressive 65% from three. He finished the month averaging 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists before suffering elimination in the Play-In Tournament.
Even though he struggled mightily under the FIBA banner, it can be attributed to Head Coach Diego Ocampo’s system. In Atlanta, he thrives in Quin Snyder’s high-volume offense, so he’ll likely return to his natural ways when the regular season starts.
Young has had a tremendous impact on Krejci’s game, and playing alongside him will restore his confidence on offense. The two share excellent chemistry, and Krejci’s team-friendly $10 million contract makes him a valuable piece of the core moving forward.
He has three years remaining on his deal, and at 25, he’s poised to improve within the Hawks' developmental system.