Hawks' draft picks add another level of playmaking to the offense

The Atlanta Hawks led the NBA in assists last season with 30.1 per game. Head coach Quin Snyder installed a defense-to-offense system predicated on ball movement, player movement, and transition scoring.

Atlanta is bringing back most of its 2025-26 squad, and fans can expect the Hawks to be at the top of the assist leaderboard once again. Even their three new rookies, Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar, all possess above-average playmaking for their respective positions.

Atlanta already has a lot of playmaking all over the floor with Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. The 2026 draft class only adds more icing on the cake, providing Snyder and the Hawks with more options to keep their pass-first offense running smoothly.

Veesaar and Ejiofor can make plays as short-roll facilitators

Daniels, Johnson, and Okongwu can all operate in short-roll situations. They read how the defense will react and make quick decisions to make their way to the rim, hit a baseline cutter, or spray the ball out to a perimeter shooter. Ejiofor and Veesaar have shown promise in this area as well, displaying these skills in the summer league.

Jacob Toppin threw down a highlight dunk during the Salt Lake City Summer League thanks to Veesaar's court vision. Isaac McNeely hit the former UNC center on the roll after both defenders blitzed the screen. This forced Toppin's defender to stop Veesaar inside, and the seven-footer immediately found his teammate cutting baseline for a monster slam.

Hawks fans were used to seeing Johnson, Okongwu, and Jonathan Kuminga on the receiving end of these alley-oops last season. If Veesaar cracks the rotation on opening night, Atlanta will almost always have two to three plus-playmakers on the floor at all times.

Ejiofor's strength, hustle, and rebounding have stood out in the summer league. He already dropped a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double against Aday Mara and the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 6, but his passing skills have flown under the radar.

The Hawks blew out the San Antonio Spurs 93-66 in their first Las Vegas Summer League game on July 6. Ejiofor had a key sequence inside the final minute of the third quarter that showed his versatility and playmaking.

He hustled to secure inside positioning on fellow rookie Tarris Reed Jr. and pulled down an offensive rebound. Ejiofor had the ball in the low post and waited patiently until he whipped an over-the-head pass to Gabe Madsen for a layup.

Ejiofor's impressive summer league showing certainly has Hawks fans excited for his future.

Kingston Flemings is the playmaking guard Atlanta needed

Through three summer league contests, Flemings has 23 assists to just three turnovers. It often takes time for young point guards to adjust to the speed of the NBA, but the 2026 No. 8 pick is different. While Hawks fans have yet to see him debut with the main squad, his summer league passing skills certainly pop.

Flemings joins Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and CJ McCollum, and the rookie is arguably the best pure playmaker in this group.

Alexander-Walker and McCollum are more scoring guards than passers, and this showed up in the playoffs, as both players turned the ball over when double-teamed. Snyder can now have one of Flemings or Daniels on the floor at all times to minimize these mistakes.

It will be interesting to see how the rookies add their playmaking skill sets to Atlanta's motion offense.

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