The Hawks held their annual Media Day on Monday morning, and there was no shortage of intrigue. The new-look roster is heading into the season with high expectations, as the Eastern Conference is as wide-open as it has ever been.
While the familiar faces made headlines due to bold statements about the upcoming season, Hawks rookie Asa Newell shared some insight on what type of player he sees himself as going forward.
The layout of Media Day was straightforward. Head Coach Quin Snyder began the event by giving his opening remarks, followed by one-by-one player availability. I was in attendance covering the event, and by the time it was Asa Newell's turn, I had an interesting question prepared for him:
I asked Asa Newell if he views himself as more of a power forward or center long-term:
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) September 29, 2025
“That’s the beauty of the game.”
He went on to say power forward, but wanted to emphasize that his versatility is a key part of his game.
"At Georgia, you played a lot of center. Even in Summer League, the first game we saw you play center but we also saw a good bit of action at power forward. What do you view yourself more as long-term?"
Newell responded with a broader statement before circling in an actual position:
"That's the beauty of the game. It's positionless, so I wouldn't, you know, put a hard position on me. It's just, you know, seeing what matchups I got, and seeing the players who are with me on the floor."
At the end of his response, he gave a definitive answer to what his role might be next season:
"A hard name would be a power forward, for sure."
Asa is not a traditional four or five, which will help him down the road.
Entering the season listed (and proclaimed) as a power forward, Newell will have an easier path into the rotation.
Third-year forward Mo Gueye should have the upper hand as the immediate backup to Jalen Johnson, considering his role last season, but he could be on a short leash if Newell impresses in camp. With how barren the power forward rotation looks, Newell will have opportunities to shine at the power forward position.
Rotations are fluid, however, and if Atlanta's training staff believes he would be better suited as the third big behind Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu, he would fill into that role with ease.
In this year's Summer League, Newell played minutes at both power forward and center. He was successful in this versatile role, averaging 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on elite shooting splits. Newell's rebounding totals in particular give reason for Atlanta to be optimistic about his ability to perform at the center position. While it was only summer league, combo bigs tend to struggle on the glass when playing the five.
The Hawks circled in Asa Newell as their guy on draft night and were able to secure him in a trade-down. His ability to impact the game on both ends while being a positionless force is going to give Atlanta a major boost in their quest for a championship.
With Atlanta having an injury-prone frontcourt rotation, Asa's versatility could secure him an important spot in the lineup at some point this season.