Atlanta wouldn't have two wins in this series if it wasn't for Jonathan Kuminga's contributions. In the games they emerged victorious from, his role off the bench was crucial. Attacking relentlessly and defending with high energy, the 23-year-old forward made all the difference for his squad as soon as the first substitutions were made.
They couldn't afford for him to go cold. In Games Four and Five, Kuminga slowed down, exposing a weakness Atlanta didn't necessarily know they had. Their bench is weak, especially compared to New York's. Jock Landale being out doesn't help, but Atlanta can't rely on his availability to determine how effective their second unit can be.
Hawks need Kuminga at his best if they want any chance of advancing
When he's unable to manipulate a defense in the ways that help him fill up the stat sheet, the ceiling for this group is immediately diminished. His recent struggles have forced Coach Snyder to experiment with other options, and to no surprise, success hasn't followed.
In their most recent blowout loss in Game Five, Gabe Vincent was forced to play 24 minutes, a mark way above his season average. He was mostly ineffective in the minutes he received, knocking down just two of his seven three-point attempts. Corey Kispert and Tony Bradley each saw over 13 minutes. This is not a recipe for any sort of postseason success.
Depending on the bench more than they have all series in a pivotal Game Five.
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) April 29, 2026
When the guys are clearly struggling.
I’m gonna be talking about tonight’s rotation for a longgggg time…
The thing is, these guys won't have to play extended nightly minutes if Kuminga is giving what's expected out of him. Due to his underwhelming performance in Game Five, he only played 17 minutes, a new series-low. This was a noticeable dip from Games Two and Three, where he suited up for an average of 31.5 minutes per contest.
He was killing it, and the Hawks were killing it. His impact is undeniable, for better or for worse. The Hawks are going to need him to return to form in Game Six, where they're set to face elimination in their home arena.
Atlanta would be silly not to address this weakness in the offseason
Regardless of how the rest of this year's postseason transpires, the Hawks are in a quality spot. Many other organizations dream of possessing the level of flexibility Atlanta is able to operate with. They have a perfect mix of young weapons and veteran players who are overachieving in the first season of their re-tool.
One thing they absolutely should do, and likely will do, is upgrade the bench. It's not nearly as important as locking in a starting five with elite chemistry, but if the group is able to not miss a beat when substitutions are made, the ceiling increases in a tremendous way.
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