When Trae Young went down early in the season, it was an all-too-familiar feeling for Atlanta Hawks fans. Injuries have plagued this team for years, and whenever Young has missed time in the past, the product on the floor became almost unwatchable.
That hasn’t been the case this time. Over the last month with Young sidelined, the Hawks have won 12 of 18 games, firmly entrenching themselves in the race for a top seed in the Eastern Conference — largely because of the development of three players.
Jalen Johnson, as I’ve written several times already, is on his way to superstardom. He’s averaging over 23 points with ten rebounds and seven assists on incredible 54/41/79 shooting splits. No matter what happens when Young returns, it’s clear the guard has changed: Johnson is now the best player in the organization.
Onyeka Okongwu also appears to have taken the next step in his sixth season. He’s averaging a career-high 16.4 points — mostly off the bench — thanks to a three-point shot that’s become a real weapon. Okongwu is shooting over 37% from deep on 5.1 attempts per game. His previous career high was 2.0 attempts. In just a quarter of a season, he’s nearly matched his career high in total threes attempted.
But perhaps the biggest surprise has been Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He signed a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason after carving out a role as a scrappy two-way guard in Minnesota, where he hadn’t averaged double figures since 2021–22. But with Young out, Alexander-Walker has been thrust into the starting lineup and is averaging over 20 points on 47/39/86 shooting splits.
To start the season, Atlanta’s starting lineup looked like this:
Young will obviously reclaim the point guard spot when he returns, but it will be fascinating to see whether Quin Snyder sticks with the original group if these trends continue. Alexander-Walker has been the best guard on the team through six weeks, and while Porzingis has looked fine when available, the future of the center position is Onyeka Okongwu, who might already be the better player.
If the Hawks ever get fully healthy — a big “if” — the starting lineup could look like this:
- Trae Young
- Dyson Daniels
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Jalen Johnson
- Onyeka Okongwu
Or this:
- Trae Young
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Zaccharie Risacher
- Jalen Johnson
- Onyeka Okongwu
Regardless, it’s a fantastic problem for the Hawks to have. In the past, depth has been their undoing. Now, they might not have enough minutes to go around for all the talent on the roster.
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