The Atlanta Hawks have survived Trae Young’s injury remarkably well, thanks to the budding star pair of Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks are 8-3 without Young and, for the first time in Young’s career, have a clear identity and star to lean on in his absence.
After a slow start to the season, the added pressure of losing Young forced Johnson into a major offensive role as the only creator who could be consistently relied upon. He has handled the added expectations as well as possible by taking another statistical leap, posting averages of 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.9 steals. Perhaps most impressively, he has come alive from three with a 43.3% deep ball on 3.7 attempts a night.
Onyeka Okongwu has seen a similarly-sized leap, albeit from a lesser starting position. The former USC big man has finally taken the offensive leap he has foreshadowed in years past, scoring 16.1 points a night and shooting the deep ball at a 40.6% clip. Both of these would be career-highs if the season ended today, with the deep shot improving by over 8% from last year. If nothing else about his game changed, the impact of his hot shooting would immediately thrust Okongwu into top-10 center conversations.
To make matters even better for the Hawks, Johnson and Okongwu have a friendship off the court that is apparent when the two share the floor. The two bigs have an instinctive feel for what the other is doing at all times, as if the two had been struck with a “psychic glue” akin to the virus seen in Vince Gilligan’s new show, Pluribus.
The Hawks’ young core remains underrated and will power a playoff run
The Hawks have been stuck in NBA purgatory since the implausible 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run – too good to gain talent through the draft, too bad to be a postseason threat, just good enough to make the Play-In Tournament. While they are currently playing at this level yet again, this has been without their best player.
If Johnson and Okongwu can prove their 10-game stretch without Young is real, the three would form a star trio capable of battling with the best. Add Dyson Daniels’ remarkable defense and Zaccharie Risacher’s spacing, and you have a starting five with no true weakness that is full of versatility.
The rise of Okongwu and Johnson couldn’t have come at a better time. The Hawks signed Nickeil Alexander-Walker to a long-term deal as their sixth man of the future. They also have a pair of elite sharpshooters in Luke Kennard and Vit Krejci, and Kristaps Porzingis is a dangerous player when available.
The team finally has the supporting cast and star trio to launch the team on the path to postseason success. In a make-or-break year for Trae Young with his looming contract extension, the Hawks’ front office finally can take a fair look at how good this team is and make a decision based on the evidence.