The Atlanta Hawks have gone from an undersized team struggling to get rebounds to a top-five team in second-chance points since the All-Star break. Let me paint a picture of just how shocking this is.
It's December 21st, 2025. Coming up on the holiday season, the Hawks have never looked more defeated than ever. Coach Quin Snyder comes up to the podium for his post-game presser, where his squad just lost heartbreakingly to the Chicago Bulls, 152-150. His interview boiled down to this quote:
"[Onyeka Okongwu] is working his tail off at 6'8... we have a 6'8 center."
The Hawks - at the time - were allowing a ludicrous amount of points in the paint, all while not producing nearly the same volume on the other end of the floor. Bottom line - they weren't playing big enough.
All of this has changed since then.
Recently, the Hawks have not only strung together win after win but have become elite at getting second-chance points since the All-Star break. Headlined by Onyeka Okongwu's fearless play on both ends and Jalen Johnson's newfound extra effort on the glass, the Hawks just may have reversed the direction of the franchise this summer.
Hawks' size 'problem' may be its greatest strength after all
Atlanta's "death lineup" has been absolutely steamrolling opponents recently, and it's all on the back of versatile play at all five positions.
While it's not the 2017 Warriors, the group of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu has consistently beaten down opponents since the All-Star Break and has seemingly reversed the narrative that the Hawks need to get bigger.
Before the Porzingis trade, KP was, of course, missing the majority of games due to lingering health complications. As a result, it was largely Okongwu receiving the center minutes for the Hawks. Atlanta was losing far more games than they were winning at the time, rightfully prompting fans to wonder if a change in personnel was necessary.
Okongwu and the rest of the Hawks have since silenced these doubters, proving that not only are they able to hang with the rest of the league on the glass, but they're amongst the best of the best.
As a result, Atlanta could play the summer a bit differently. Rather than prioritizing the addition of a more traditional seven-footer, they could complement their recent versatility in both the draft and free agency.
Look for the Atlanta Hawks to add not only a top-eight pick capable of immediately fitting into a dynamic scoring system under Quin Snyder, but to potentially add a few free agents capable of providing meaningful minutes for a team that's looking anywhere it can for more rotations like their favorite "death lineup" of late.