The Atlanta Hawks will play Kristaps Porzingis at his preferred center position exclusively this season. As far back as 2020, the Unicorn hasn’t been shy about saying he liked the five better after starting his career as a power forward in New York. Porzingis has a unique ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim, but center is the only option for the Hawks.
Atlanta is weak at the five. Incumbent starting center Onyeka Okongwu will play significant minutes, but the Hawks don’t have another option. Okongwu has never played more than 27.9 minutes per game, so there will be ample opportunities for head coach Quin Snyder to split their minutes. If he uses the duo together, Okongwu will be the four.
Snyder’s preference is to play only one big man. Since 2020, his most used lineup every year has been with a center flanked by four versatile options. The Hawks traded for KP and believe he can unlock their offense. Expect him to get plenty of run, and all of it will be at center.
Hawks will give Kristaps Porzingis all his minutes at the five
The Unicorn has a significant injury history and scouts were questioning his impact at EuroBasket. Atlanta has to do whatever is possible to keep him healthy.
Guarding on the perimeter and being used strictly as a pick-and-pop option is not the answer. Porzingis is a drop coverage big man capable of cleaning up the paint. Snyder must put him there. He is a better shot blocker and rim protector than the slightly undersized Okongwu, so there is no question who will be tasked with guarding inside.
Since being traded to Dallas in 2019, Porzingis has played 93 percent of his minutes at the five. That number should only go up in Atlanta. The Hawks want to leverage KP’s versatility and unique skill set. The best way to do that is to put him at center and force big men to chase him on the perimeter.
Snyder wants one big man on the floor, so expect to see him mostly use Porzingis or Okongwu. The Unicorn’s shooting allows him to play with another big man, but it is difficult to make it work defensively. Snyder will try it for small stretches and in certain matchups, but do not expect it to become the norm.
Porzingis averaged under 20 points per game last season for the first time since he missed the entire 2018-19 season recovering from a torn ACL. He was clearly not healthy, but still shot 41.2 percent from 3-point range and dropped 19.5 points every night. The injuries are a worry, but the 30-year-old is nearly unstoppable.
He is on a $30.7 million expiring contract, and the Atlanta Hawks must give him what he wants to keep him happy. Kristaps Porzingis should play the five and prove to his new franchise that he is still an elite option. There is nothing better than a redemption story, and Kristaps Porzingis is finally getting his. It all starts with his longtime wish of playing center coming true. The Hawks got this on lock, but it remains to be seen how it will work. All fans can do is stay tuned.