Hawks Defense And Rookie Depth Define First Week Of Camp

The Atlanta Hawks left Nashville with a plan. They want to be a tough, physical team that grinds opponents down. This is a big change from years past. The team traded away their biggest star, Trae Young, to Washington. Now, Jalen Johnson leads the charge as the main franchise player. The goal is simple: make the playoffs and actually win a series. They did not make huge roster swaps this summer. Instead, they added veteran depth and young rookies. According to Sports Illustrated , the team hopes these new pieces will be the difference maker. The starting lineup looks set. CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu are the core. But the bench needs to step up. In the last playoff loss to the Knicks, the Hawks had no one to turn to except Jonathan Kuminga. That cannot happen again.

Head coach Quin Snyder wants a specific feel on the court. He spoke about building a new identity during the first week of practice. "But fundamentally, we took some steps to really carve out and begin to build an identity," Snyder said. The team is trying to be defensive-minded. They added Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins for that exact reason. These players know how to stop the other team from scoring easy points. The East is getting harder, but the Hawks believe they can keep up. Their new depth and chemistry might be the key to success.

Defense is the priority right now. Almost any opponent can be shut down by a group of Hawks players. Dyson Daniels, Lu Dort, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu form a scary wall. Per Yahoo Sports , Atlanta finished in the top 10 for defensive rating last season. That was the first time they did that since the 2016-17 season. For years before that, they were in the bottom 10. The team is going all-in on this style without Trae Young. Dyson Daniels has Lu Dort adding more wing defense nearby. The coach noted that defense usually comes before offense. "Yeah, I think particularly early in the year, really the whole year, but your defense is usually ahead of your offense," Snyder explained. This is okay as long as the defense is good. The team can lean on their defense while the offense learns to work together. Communication is a huge part of this. Snyder wants to see that early focus to make the team tough to beat night after night.

Jalen Johnson has a new job. He is helping the rookies learn the ropes. This is his first season as the clear leader. He needs to guide the younger players through the new system. The team moved Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas after just two years. That was a tough decision for a number one pick. But it signaled that the team is moving forward with a different vision. The stats show Risacher did better with Trae Young, but the fit was not right. Now, the Hawks must prove they can win without that specific playmaker. The defense will have to carry the load early on.

There is a worry about the guard spot. The starting trio of McCollum, Alexander-Walker, and Daniels is solid. But the bench looks thin. The Hawks waived Devin Carter and traded Ryan Nembhard. They drafted Kingston Flemings, but he is a rookie. Two-way players like RayJ Davis and Keshon Gilbert were great in the G League. However, asking them to play big minutes in the NBA might be a stretch. Two-way players cannot play in the playoffs anyway. Aaron Wiggins might need to take on more responsibility. He used to just hit open threes and play defense with Oklahoma City. Now, he might have to handle the ball more. If Wiggins cannot fill that role, the pressure on rookie Flemings will be huge. Rookies often struggle with such big tasks.

Hawks President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh thinks the team is fine. He told reporters he feels confident in the depth. "Yeah, like we're really excited about our guards. We feel like we're pretty deep at that position in a lot of ways," Saleh said. He listed CJ, Nickeil, Dyson, and Kingston as key players. He also noted that Jalen Johnson handles the ball often too. The talent is there. The opportunity is there. But the risk is real. If the guards do not click, the team could struggle. The first preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies will show if the guards can hold their own. The Hawks have a chance to be a contender, but they must solve this depth puzzle first.