The Atlanta Hawks are in the middle of a rare five-day break that has allowed the team to hit the reset button. Trae Young is set to be reevaluated for his knee injury soon, and Kristaps Porzingis was benched for the first time of the season in Atlanta’s final game before their mini-break.
The Hawks have survived Young’s absence remarkably well, with offensive contributions from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Vit Krejci helping the team secure critical wins over this stretch. The team has banded together to form an elite defensive unit that would be championship-caliber if they weren’t in the bottom ten in defensive rebounding.
Trae’s return and Porzingis’s demotion will launch the Hawks forward
The defense-first identity without Young is exciting, but the truth is that this team has no shot without him. There was no better example of this than Friday night’s match against the Denver Nuggets, where Nickeil Alexander-Walker took an open layup down three with 2.2 seconds left.
Young’s absence is felt most when the Hawks need a star, whether because the offense is failing or in crunch time. Luckily, he should be returning soon, which will send Alexander-Walker’s two-way punch back to the bench to work in tandem with Kristaps Porzingis, Krejci, and Luke Kennard, three of the best deep threats in the league.
Unlike Young, who is the beating heart of the offense, the Hawks could use moving Kristaps Porzingis to the bench. They experimented with this lineup for the first time last week, with great success: Porzingis dropped 25 points, two rebounds, and two blocks against the Nuggets.
Quin Snyder explained pregame that the change was due to injury management and was not a coaching decision. This is the Hawks' best lineup, however, and I suspect the Hawks will continue to lean into it, whether for injury-management or coaching reasons.
At this point in his career, Porzingis is neither available nor mobile enough to demand a starting spot. Roster continuity is a real factor in the cohesiveness of a team, and the Hawks have had essentially zero continuity with Porzingis missing nearly half of his games so far. He has also struggled mightily on the glass and in space on defense as his energy and mobility have declined from his peak Boston years.
Against the bench, however, Porzingis is a world-class offensive talent who can create major problems for the opponent. His signature high-post game and lethal elbow jumper can be the backbone of a unique half-court offense. When surrounded by the slashing of Alexander-Walker and shooting of Kennard and Krejci, the Hawks could have the best bench unit in NBA history after the squad develops some chemistry.
Young’s return and Porzingis’s relegation are just what the Hawks need to come out of this mini-break on fire.