One thing - perhaps the most notable - that limited the Atlanta Hawks in their pursuit of a deep postseason run last time out was their lack of depth, particularly at forward.
It's why the addition of Jonathan Kuminga made such an immediate impact. The Hawks seriously lacked reinforcements on the wing and down low. After the way they operated this summer, though, it appears they don't want to have that problem any longer.
The only issue with possessing many gifted players at the same position, however, is that not all of them can see the floor nightly. Depth comes at a cost, and pretty soon, Atlanta is going to have a tough rotation decision to make.
An answer won't be given as early as fans have hoped for
One of the most exciting things about the beginning of a new season is the fact that anything is possible.
Teams without many expectations can catch the league off guard, and players who didn't enter the year with much hope of obtaining a significant role can prove themselves worthy of one. Everyone starts the season 0-0.
Usually, an opening night rotation is a solid indicator of what it's going to look like for the rest of the season, but in rare instances - like what's about to transpire in Atlanta - it won't mean anything. At all.
The starting five is all but locked. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Jock Landale and (likely) Kingston Flemings will be tasked immediate responsibility. After them, it conveniently becomes murky, with each of the next few candidates for minutes sharing the same position.
Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor each have a shot at minutes. Both were recent first-round picks with unique abilities on both ends. They fit right into what the Hawks have been looking to build for some time.
With this competition brewing, it's important not to forget Mo Gueye
If he's even on the opening night roster, that is.
Atlanta needs to get rid of two players before the 2026-27 season can begin, and many have pointed to Gueye being the odd-man out after his untimely offseason injury.
His recovery is set to hold him out for at least the first stretch of the season, so in the event that the organization still views him as part of their long-term plans, a day-one rotation could be drastically altered by his highly-anticipated return to action.
Even if it may not seem like it at the moment, this is a great problem to have.
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