The Atlanta Hawks took a leap forward this past season. They exited the Trae Young era – trading him to the Washington Wizards – and moved forward into the Jalen Johnson era. Alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, Dyson Daniels and others, he’s going to try to lead the Hawks to their next championship. But in order for him to do that, he needs Kingston Flemings to turn into a star.
The Hawks selected Flemings with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He played super well at Houston last year, proving worthy of a top-10 pick in the draft. He’s great with the ball in his hands, great at setting up teammates, and can get downhill well, too. If he can turn into a go-to ball-handling and creation option for the Hawks, Atlanta could turn into a real force in the East.
Last year, CJ McCollum had to take on that role in the postseason, and he managed to take two games off the current NBA Champions. But Atlanta needs someone more stable, and Flemings can turn into that guy.
Kingston Flemings can help Hawks win in Jalen Johnson era
Flemings isn’t the biggest guy in the world. But he’s a demon with the ball in his hands. He’ll need to put on some NBA weight, but he’ll have plenty of time to do that with all the new facilities available to him.
Last year at Houston, he got downhill at will. Much like the weight, he’ll have to adapt to the NBA in that regard, too. But the raw skills are there. Same with his passing.
Right now, as is, Flemings has all the makings of a star guard in the NBA. Someone who can run the offense for the Hawks and help set up the likes of Johnson and NAW.
He doesn’t have to do it right away. The Hawks still have enough perimeter guys to get the job done. But that will only last so long, especially considering McCollum is already 34 years old.
For now, McCollum can handle it. He probably has just enough juice left in the tank tohelp the Hawks remain competitive in the short-term. But not for long.
Atlanta isn’t going to win a championship with McCollum as its best offensive perimeter option. Johnson is great, and he can be a top guy on a very competitive team, but he needs some help in the offensive creation department.
Again, that’s where Flemings can come into play. The 19-year-old has all the potential in the world and could eventually blossom into the exact type of player that Johnson needs to help the Hawks win in his era.
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