Amidst their remarkable late-season turnaround, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows for the Atlanta Hawks as they gear up for the playoffs. A blatantly dirty play under the rim from Orlando's Goga Bitadze made Jock Landale tweak his ankle. The Hawks won the game, but they couldn't help but wonder what the extent of Landale's injury would entail.
Just one day later, it was revealed that Atlanta's backup center would miss at least the next two weeks with a right high ankle sprain, likely ending his 2025-26 regular season. The next time they see him on the floor will be in the postseason, if he's even ready by then. This could mean taking a closer look at Corey Kispert.
This setback opens the door for another dangerous offensive weapon
When injuries happen, teams are forced to adjust. The rotation, while mostly similar, would see a new face or two as they attempt to make up for Landale's reliable paint presence. It's going to be difficult, but this is why they've put a major emphasis on acquiring depth over the last year.
When Atlanta made the bold move to ship away franchise star Trae Young to Washington, they didn't just receive CJ McCollum in return; they also picked up Corey Kispert. Kispert, 27, is under contract for the next few years, making him a valuable asset who aligns with the timeline of the already established core.
Despite his annual earnings probably being higher than the ideal mark, he's a talented young forward who fits right in with what the Hawks are trying to build. As a reliable sharpshooter and rim finisher with quality positional size, it's hard to see a world where Kispert doesn't work out in Atlanta.
Well, it didn't start out perfectly. In fact, his first few months in Atlanta have been so inconsistent that he fell out of the rotation entirely. The timely injury to Landale, however, opened the door back up for Kispert to see the minutes he deserves.
In his first stint back, he made sure to leave quite the impression.
The first matchup since Landale's injury was on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets. While there certainly were other storylines to pay attention to as the Hawks continue their late-season climb, how Coach Snyder managed the new-look rotation was a big one.
He went back to what he ran before cracking down on the nightly lineup. Kispert saw his first action at the start of the second quarter, which sounds like he's being mostly limited, but he's looked good in that role.
Looks like Corey’s back in the rotation after Jock’s injury.
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) April 4, 2026
In 15 quality minutes against Brooklyn, Kispert recorded an impressive 13 points, two rebounds, and two blocks on 4-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-4 from the outside. He was a +16 in those minutes, and the eye test certainly suggested that.
His ability to adapt to a variety of roles and still be just as effective proves the professionalism and talent Corey Kispert possesses. If he remains in this role moving forward, Atlanta will be in good shape.