Every year, the NBA gets more talented.
Young prospects get deeper and deeper as each NBA Draft class seems to trump the one prior in overall ability (with a few notable exceptions). While certain outliers exist at the 1.01 in certain years – Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg – the value that late first round picks and even select second round picks bring to the table is unequivocally more tangible than twenty, thirty years ago.
Recent teams that have paved their way to an NBA title often boast multiple savants that are capable of Swiss army knife-esque abilities.
Last year's 2025 Thunder are perhaps the best example. While their core of SGA, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams no doubt led their charge in versatility, they benefitted from the all-around talents of Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and even Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe when coach Mark Daignault reached deep into his bag of tricks.
The 2024 Celtics are another excellent example of a vastly versatile squad - their fearsome 6-man rotation of Tatum, Brown, Holiday, Porzingis, Horford, and White has a serious case in the contest of all-time best starting lineups + 6th man of all time. Each of the six – headlined by the true jack of all trade wings Tatum and Brown –have negligible weaknesses on the hardwood.
Atlanta is rostering a few too many non-versatile options
Unlike these contending teams, this year's Hawks don't have nearly as many versatile pieces.
While Jalen Johnson has broken out and has staked a claim to being one of the most all-around elite players in the league (especially with his recent resurgence of stellar defense), few other Hawks move the needle in the fully versatile column.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is another Hawk in this fully versatile category. Just as Alex Caruso or Jrue Holiday have provided in years past to title-hoisting teams, NAW has become one of the league's premier perimeter defenders that also boasts a beautiful jump shot and surprisingly switchable positional versatility.
I'd argue that Mouhamed Gueye could very well add his name to this list a season or two down the line. His playmaking flashes and inconsistent jump shot could not so ridiculously develop into consistent options to pair with his sensational defensive and finishing abilities.
Unfortunately, the Hawks are also granting ample minutes to positional specialists. Luke Kennard, CJ McCollum, and Corey Kispert each represent undersized, weak elite shooting options that fall flat on the defensive end of the court (each earning upwards of 18 minutes a night).
Conversely, Dyson Daniels has also fallen into a state of disrepair on offense. His league-worst 3-point shooting is a sour stain on an otherwise beautiful display of versatility. While his defense, playmaking, and even rebounding have proven special once again this season, without a reliable jump shot, he strays into the realm of becoming a definite offensive liability.
Atlanta has a long way to go in the means of becoming a true title contender, and the first steps no doubt involve developing their existing talent to become fully versatile pieces on the floor, and drafting/trading for/signing more pieces that can flank their growing core of do-it-all talents.