The Atlanta Hawks are reaching the proverbial crossroads between the path they're on and the path they're otherwise committed to. The youth movement is in full effect with key starters injured, and the immediate upside of a Hawks team that is no longer years away from winning meaningful games is staring it in the face.
With this in mind, the Hawks must answer the question: Should the priority be the name value of Kristaps Porzingis and Trae Young or the long-term value of their potential replacements?
Porzingis and Young are the most decorated players on the roster, with the latter carrying the tag of franchise player and eight-season Hawks veteran. They're also two of the most productive players in Atlanta, with Jalen Johnson arguably acting as the only other member who can historically rival their numbers.
Compounded by the fact that Porzingis brings invaluable perspective as a former NBA champion, it's easy to understand why the coaching staff and front office are eager to explore this team's potential.
Unfortunately, Porzingis has missed seven games during his first season in Atlanta and Young has been absent from 13. In their absence, the young players have not only picked up the slack, but developed an almost entirely different style of play that's led to positive team results.
As the up-and-comers break out, it's fair to question if it's time to either move on from the veterans or at least shift the priorities in Atlanta.
Hawks must decide between All-Stars and future stars
The Hawks have gone 9-4 across 13 games without Young, with the identity of the team seemingly changing overnight. The All-Star point guard was injured less than eight minutes into the Oct. 29 game against the Brooklyn Nets, which Atlanta went on to win 117-112.
Since Oct. 29, the Hawks rank No. 7 in defensive rating, No. 9 in net rating, and No. 11 in offensive rating—elite figures that are impossible to overlook.
It's worth noting that Atlanta ranked No. 17 in offensive rating and No. 18 in both defensive rating and net rating in 2024-25. It clearly had a big offseason, and getting Jalen Johnson back from injury has changed the dynamic in inevitable ways.
Beyond the numbers, however, the Hawks are playing more freely since Young went down—and a similarly significant change has taken hold without Porzingis.
With Porzingis sidelined, Onyeka Okongwu turned in the best stretch of his NBA career thus far. He scored at least 21 points in four consecutive games, posted 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists off the bench in Porzingis' return, and then picked up another 20 points when the veteran was out again.
Okongwu has played well in either role, but he's averaging 20.0 points in 34.4 minutes per game across seven starts and 13.6 in 26.3 minutes in 10 games off the bench.
With Johnson and Okongwu emerging as the interior duo of the future, starting them immediately seems to be the rational move. For that matter, the Hawks have experienced great success with Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the lineup for Young, as he offers size and defensive versatility that the All-Star simply lacks.
Talent and accolades may suggest otherwise, but the Hawks must decide if bending a team showing signs of greatness to the strengths and weaknesses of players with bigger names would be a logical decision.