We’ve all seen the Atlanta Hawks battle their fair share of injuries, but Henri Veesaar’s recent ACL tear sent shockwaves throughout the franchise.
Instead of hitting the court with fellow rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor, Veesaar will be rehabbing all season. While the news is certainly devastating, the Hawks are relatively deep, and sophomore Asa Newell is a major reason why.
A new season with a new opportunity for Asa
The former UGA Bulldog has been sharpening his skills in College Park playing for the Skyhawks, and he showcased improvements during the 2026 NBA Summer League. Newell scored 15 points on numerous occasions and showed better physicality when crashing the glass.
It’s encouraging because he’ll likely play the center position now more than ever. Mouhamed Gueye is another prospect that’s steadily improving, but he doesn’t have the frame to play the five.
On the contrary, Newell has shown obvious muscle growth and an uptake in offensive aggression. Both characteristics will serve him well as he faces veteran big men nightly.
It’s unfortunate that fans won’t get to see Asa and Henri on the court at the same time; however, there is a silver lining. The beauty of this dilemma is that both players are very similar.
Newell can shoot threes just like his teammate, and he's been durable throughout his career. Head Coach Quin Snyder can trust the 20-year-old to protect the rim while also spacing out the offense with his shooting. Also, having a healthy 245-pound Ejiofor by his side will certainly add extra support.
Turning Veesaar’s knee pain into purpose
Even though Hawks fans are disappointed after seeing their 22-year-old Estonian go down before the season even began, Coach Snyder can use this to test the Hawks' frontcourt depth. They still have a promising rotation of Onyeka Okongwu, Jock Landale and Newell.
All three players can play center, while Jalen Johnson, Mo Gueye, and Ejiofor are better suited as power forwards. If the frontcourt proves to be cohesive, it’ll only add more fuel to Veesaar’s fire.
Adding their long-awaited seven-footer to the rotation could prove to be Atlanta’s missing piece in his return. The Hawks drafted him because his playstyle is tailor-made for Snyder’s system, as proven by his summer league performances. Most notably, in his performance against the Boston Celtics on July 13th.
He scored 20 points, shooting 7-12 and 4-6 from three. This was his most recent outing, and now he won’t be able to play until next year’s summer league due to his injury, so learning from the bench will be crucial in the meantime.
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