Injuries are inevitable. As a team looking to make an unexpected playoff push after a remarkable late-season turnaround, hearing that has got to be crushing. Reality hit the Hawks during a recent road battle against the Orlando Magic, when backup center Jock Landale was taken out under the rim by Goga Bitadze.
The injury he suffered is expected to sideline him for at least the rest of the regular season, with his immediate playoff status being up in the air. Preparing for the worst, General Manager Onsi Saleh went out and acquired Tony Bradley, ensuring they'll have enough proven depth in the wake of another potential setback.
The newcomer's debut didn't go as planned
To be fair, Coach Snyder knew he was putting Bradley in an unfair position from the jump. The Hawks made the signing official on Monday morning, and he suited up for his first game with his new squad that evening.
It wasn't against just any group, either. The New York Knicks and their dominant center room were in town. The versatile tandem of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson always seem to give the Hawks problems, and Monday night's meeting was no different.
Snyder: "I put Tony [Bradley] in a really difficult position tonight."
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) April 7, 2026
Snyder was looking for an immediate fix, to which he quickly realized was a profound mistake. Bradley played four minutes in the first quarter and didn't provide any sort of boost in the frontcourt. In fact, he slowed the game down and forced Atlanta out of rhythm.
Each of those minutes came in the first quarter, and after he went back to the bench in the next frame, he didn't see the floor again. It was worth a shot, at least.
His struggles could put the Hawks in a terrible situation if they persist.
Bradley should get the benefit of the doubt from fans, considering it was his debut with the team, but this level of play can't go on if the plan is to give him nightly minutes the rest of the way. Once the postseason hits, if they don't give a promotion to Christian Koloko or Asa Newell, it'll be either Bradley or Mo Gueye seeing all of the backup five minutes until Landale returns.
Now, the idea of Gueye at the five is intriguing, but the results have proven otherwise. It's effective in short minutes and in specific matchups, but his size and inexperience could give him a real disadvantage come playoff time.
The physicality in the postseason is a different beast, and Atlanta needs to get this center problem right if they want any shot at a deep run.
Jock, please come back soon.