Onsi Saleh and the Atlanta Hawks front office have managed to turn around the state of the franchise in one offseason. The Hawks added a plethora of talent to create an 9-man playoff rotation that could be one of the best in the league.
An underrated aspect of Atlanta’s offseason is that they now have no true non-shooters on the roster. After shipping Clint Capela to Houston and replacing him with Kristaps Porzingis, every player on the roster takes multiple threes per game.
This is a critical change for the Hawks. Capela’s absence will free up the paint for the rest of the team and allow Quinn Snyder to be much more creative with his offensive game plan.
Porzingis shot 41.2% from deep last season, the third highest clip for a center. Not only did Atlanta offload their only non-shooter, they replaced him with one of the league’s most dangerous spot-up three point weapons. Pair this with Luke Kennard’s 43.3% and newly acquired Caleb Houstan’s 40.0% shooting from deep, and the Hawks suddenly have one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league.
This change will open up the court for Atlanta’s many scoring weapons. Trae Young will have a much easier time operating in the pick and roll; Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels will be able to drive to the rim without worrying about a lurking big man; Luke Kennard and Porzingis will be able to connect on open threes when their man helps.
The new five-out spacing gives the Hawks a major edge in the playoffs
An excellent example of how valuable five-out spacing can be is Porzingis’s former team, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won the 2024 Finals in large part due to their offense by committee approach.
Having five shooters on then floor forces defenses into difficult decisions. The distance a help-side defender has to cover increases dramatically. Likewise, the distance between where the defender rotates to and where their man is increases. Defenders have to make lightning quick decisions, leaving themselves prone to making mistakes and vulnerable to opportunities generated off drive and kick offense.
The Celtics mastered this, with each of their starters having an ability to create off the dribble. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were able to beat their man to force help, where they dished it to their supporting cast. While Jrue Holiday and Derrick White aren’t elite scorers, when left open they were able to create good looks for themselves and their teammates.
Atlanta has a similarly balanced offensive roster construction. Young is one of the best in the league at creating open looks for himself and his teammates. When defenses are forced to help, he’ll be surrounded by the slashing threats of Johnson and Daniels, and the all-around offensive threats of Zaccharie Risacher and Porzingis.
Atlanta didn’t just upgrade the talent on their roster this offseason; they created a new offensive identity that makes the team a dangerous opponent in the playoffs.