The Atlanta Hawks enter the 2025 offseason with two mostly obvious needs: a backup point guard and size in the frontcourt. While getting healthier could help solve both issues, particularly the former, the Hawks could also have a long-term solution for their issues with size.
That player is 2023 second-round pick Mouhamed Gueye.
Gueye came on strong last season after battling injuries and struggling to earn playing time as a rookie.
He appeared in six games with the club in 2023-24, finishing with averages of 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds. Gueye logged 28 starts in 33 appearances last season, sporting 6.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 1.0 blocks per game.
He posted a negative plus-minus in 15 of his final 30 games and still finished with a positive net.
Moreover, Gueye finished with the top net on-off differential and defensive differential on the team, per Cleaning The Glass. All of this is encouraging if Clint Capela leaves in free agency as expected.
Mouhamed Gueye could be key to Onyeka Okongwu’s viability at 5 spot
Gueye’s defensive prowess was a key to lineups featuring starting center Onyeka Okongwu not being porous in the paint defensively. When Gueye and Okongwu were on the floor together, the Hawks boasted a plus-7.7 net differential.
When Okongwu played without Gueye (or Jalen Johnson, with whom he helped the Hawks to a plus-3.2 differential), the Hawks dropped to a minus-1.4 differential despite a strong offense.
The Hawks are invested in Okongwu, though his deficiencies cannot be ignored.
Keeping Gueye and Johnson healthy so they can help offset his shortcomings will be key for the Hawks if they plan to run it back with the undersized Okongwu manning the pivot. And the early returns suggest the combinations could be even better next season.
Part 1 of that is Johnson, who appeared in 36 games in 2024-25, marking his second straight season with a decline in outings due to injuries.
Part 2 requires Gueye taking a very critical step.
Next step for Mouhamed Gueye: bulk up
Bulking up has been a key for Gueye since he entered the league, but it is even more important after he showed he can be effective at the NBA level. His offense remains a work in progress. It would help if he could withstand more physicality down low.
That is also true on defense, where his ability to man the five allows the Hawks to keep Okongwu, a solid perimeter defender for a big man, on the floor.
Gueye’s showing last season could grant the Hawks greater flexibility.
If they feel encouraged enough by him, and if they remain high on Kobe Bufkin, they could focus on the best player available in the draft. With so many other questions to address, that would be a tremendous lift.