Onyeka Okongwu has played like a top-10 center in the league this season, while Kristaps Porzingis has struggled mightily, yet Porzingis has started every game he has been healthy for.
Fans debated before the season whether Okongwu or Porzingis deserved to start, but the nod was always going to go to Porzingis. He’s a former All-Star with 11 years of NBA experience who was the starter on a team that won the Finals less than 18 months ago. Porzingis is generally regarded as a positive locker room presence, but most players with this resume would feel slighted if they were benched after being traded to a team that started Clint Capela a calendar year ago.
What the world missed was that Okongwu was about to have an unexpected breakout season as a shooter, while Porzingis has taken a step back from the level of play he reached even last season. At this point, there is no logical reason to continue to start Porzingis.
Porzingis’s grace period as starting center is coming to a close
When evaluating a starting lineup, I judge a player in three broad areas: ability, on-court fit, and personality fit. Ability-wise, Okongwu has the clear edge. He is shooting better from two and three, is a more versatile defender, and is a much better athlete than Porzingis.
Okongwu is also a perfect fit alongside Jalen Johnson and the starting lineup for both on and off-court reasons. The two are the backbone of one of Atlanta’s most successful lineups, embodying the phrase “heart over height” as the 6’8 frontcourt pairing hits the defensive glass at an above-average rate. Perhaps most critically, Johnson and Okongwu are good friends whose mental connection is readily apparent when watching the Hawks in action.
In contrast, Porzingis fits in much better with the bench unit. Porzingis would be an incredible fit alongside Mouhamed Gueye, who has the perfect combination of length, mobility, energy, and vertical pop to fly around the court and cover the Latvian big’s weaknesses. He would bring five-out spacing to a bench unit that already features two of the best shooters in the league, Vit Krejci and Luke Kennard.
It is important that Quin Snyder showed Porzingis the respect he has earned in this league by handing the starting spot over without a competition. Despite Porzingis’s POTS diagnosis – despite poor play in the playoffs – despite the breakout of Okongwu last season, it was Porzingis’s starting job to lose. By outwardly extending such grace to their most senior player, the Hawks avoided any possible sources of discontent.
At some point, however, the Hawks have to prioritize winning games. Porzingis has proven to be a more flawed player than he was in previous seasons, and the Hawks have generally played much better with Okongwu than Porzingis. Porzingis can’t even play a full starting load; he’s played 30 minutes just once this season. It is time for the Hawks to start Okongwu and reap the rewards of their remarkable development.