The Atlanta Hawks traded for Kristaps Porzingis as part of their roster upgrades, but they forgot to cover for him. KP averages just 52.5 games per season over the last six, and the 7’2 big man just struggled through a mysterious illness in the 2025 playoffs. He will miss time, and the Hawks don’t have the depth to fill in for him.
Onyeka Okongwu and Porzingis are the only two centers on Atlanta’s roster. When either misses time, head coach Quin Snyder will have to go small with Jalen Johnson, Mouhamed Gueye, or rookie Asa Newell at the five. None of those options sounds ideal, even in limited minutes. Atlanta has depth in the backcourt, but things could quickly get sticky at the five.
Porzingis is the perfect fit with Trae Young. The Hawks star’s status with the franchise is in question, but the duo should dominate this season when both are healthy. If KP misses extended time, Atlanta will struggle.
Hawks have a problem when Kristaps Porzingis misses time
Okongwu and Porzingis should be a strong pairing that can play together for stretches. The Unicorn’s 3-point shooting gives Snyder options. The presence of Okongwu should help the Hawks limit KP’s minutes and get more overall production from the oft-injured big man.
The Hawks can’t expect more than 65 games. Porzingis was drafted ten years ago and has played 501 total contests. He missed the entire 2018-2019 season recovering from a torn ACL, and the consistency of games is not there either. Porzingis has played over 60 games just three times and only once since 2017. His second-highest total contests during that eight-season stretch is 57.
The Unicorn won’t be eligible for awards and will likely miss at least 25 games. That is 30 percent of the Hawks’ regular-season schedule. They can’t rely on Johnson to play 18 minutes a night at the five regardless of the matchup. The 6’9 forward has the talent, but a shoulder injury limited him to 36 games last season. The Hawks don’t want to risk their future star’s health on this experiment.
Atlanta desperately needs to add a third-string center capable of eating minutes whenever Kristaps Porzingis misses time. It is the only solution to this problem. The Hawks can’t count on KP to play more than 60 games, and the organization should solve the other 22 immediately. Don’t wait for the problem to negatively impact the franchise. Please do it now.
Expect Kristaps Porzingis to put up monster numbers when healthy. The Unicorn lives up to his nickname. He is a 7’2 big man with deep shooting range and a dominant post-up game. Porzingis will get buckets, protect the rim, and help the Atlanta Hawks win. The injuries are part of the experience. The Hawks just hope he is healthy and ready to be a difference-maker in the playoffs, but even that is a question mark.