A significant Hawks lineup change took place Wednesday night.
In their first meeting with Trae Young and the Washington Wizards since the trade, Atlanta opted for a different look to combat their former franchise star. It was the past vs. the present. Young was on one side, and Kingston Flemings - Atlanta's rookie guard - was on the other.
Flemings made his first career start in their recent win over the Wizards, putting up a solid night in the statsheet and leading his team to a much-needed victory. While nothing regarding his future starting-status is confirmed, it would be difficult to imagine the staff sending him back to the bench.
Now a starter, Flemings' quick development could change everything
One of Atlanta's most obvious weaknesses since Young's departure in January has been their lack of halfcourt shot creation.
While they have many players capable of getting a bucket on their own, they've been in need of a reliable facilitator. One who truly fits their timeline and the rest of the core.
When the Hawks selected Flemings with the eighth-overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they projected he would eventually develop into that. It only took him nine regular season games to look like he's already reached that level.
With a new playmaker in the fold, the rest of Atlanta's quality offensive players can eat.
Suddenly, everything can become much simpler for Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. They've done a fine job carrying a strong offensive workload, but when they don't want to have to generate for themselves, they'll no longer have to.
That is, as long as Flemings remains in the starting lineup. Even if, for some reason, the staff decides their decision was premature and they send him back to the second unit, his contributions being heavily prioritized is inevitable.
The rest of the conference seems to have forgotten about the Hawks
When a team fails to go through with a blockbuster move the offseason following an early playoff exit, their undeniable progression can get lost in translation.
It's easy to forget about a team like the Hawks - without a top ten player in the league - when so much shakeup happens in the same conference they're in.
If Flemings continues to display incredible two-way impact, as a rookie, the Hawks could instantly reach that next level of excellence as a unit.
The league wouldn't know what to do.
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