The Hawks made their final roster move by signing N'Faly Dante, a young center who was a star in the G League last season. The Hawks are clearly prioritizing a deep frontcourt lineup, rostering five players who can play the five position: Dante, Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu, Mouhamed Gueye, and Asa Newell.
Okongwu was one of the league's best developmental success stories last season. After starting the year behind Clint Capela, Okongwu broke into the starting lineup in January. The team initially struggled, however, posting an eight-game losing streak with him as the starter.
Disaster struck during this cold spell when Jalen Johnson suffered a shoulder injury that would sideline the breakout star for the season. When all hope was gone, a quiet hero emerged: Mouhamed Gueye. Gueye, who had played only 11 total minutes while Johnson was healthy, was a key addition to the roster, helping to right the ship and allowing Okongwu to elevate his game.
Playing Okongwu in double-big lineups will maximize his performance
Okongwu looked like a player who could win you a playoff series when sharing the court with Gueye.
What was most remarkable about Okongwu's performance in this stretch was his improvement as a scorer. After being a shaky shooter for most of his career, Okongwu couldn't miss playing alongside Gueye. He shot 37.1% from deep and maintained his high two point percentage en route to the best stretch of his career. This wasn't just luck, however.
He posted five of his six highest-scoring games in his career in this 36-game stretch, including 30 points on Defensive Player of the Year favorite Victor Wembanyama. Another highlight was when the Magic tried to mitigate Okongwu by having Paolo Banchero guard him. While Banchero isn't known for his defense, he is more agile than Wendell Carter Jr., and truthfully, Okongwu isn't known for his offense.
The Magic had to switch Banchero off Okongwu by halftime, however. Okongwu was lighting up the scoreboard and the glass, ultimately ending the game with 30 points and 14 boards. This is Okongwu's greatest strength as an offensive player. His shooting and speed make it difficult for centers to guard him, but his finishing and rebounding make it impossible for power forwards to compete.
Expect more double big lineups featuring Okongwu
The Hawks should experiment with this double big lineup, and adding N'Faly Dante was the sign that Atlanta understands this. Atlanta didn't necessarily need an extra center, even when considering Porzingis's health. Porzingis, Okongwu, Gueye, and Newell were already perhaps the deepest center rotation in the league.
Adding another young center in Dante could seem like a waste of Atlanta's final roster spot. Dante, however, gives Atlanta the freedom to play double big lineups even with Porzingis sidelined.
While the double big lineup isn't foolproof, it is an easy way to punish teams with a weak center or power forward. The Rockets' double-center lineup last season led them all the way to the second seed in the West, a feat not even their biggest fans could have predicted.
Don't expect the double big lineup every game. Against high-quality frontcourts, it may prove counterproductive to play the lineup consistently. However, against teams with either a weak power forward or center, Atlanta has an ace up its sleeve in playing Okongwu alongside a second center