Five on Five: Comparing the Atlanta Hawks and Trail Blazers Projected Starting Lineups

The Trail Blazers might be a scrappier team than many expect, but do they have enough to keep up with the Hawks in 2025-26?

Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) dribbles against Portland Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe (17) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Hawks added many players this offseason to an already young and upcoming roster, and it now appears that the Hawks are potential playoff contenders. Atlanta's roster boasts a wealth of promising young talent that rivals the rest of the NBA, and it has acquired valuable pieces that can help the team take the next step.

Now that the NBA season is less than a month away, it is a good time to take a deeper dive into where the Hawks rank as far as starting lineups compared to other teams in the league. While the Hawks play the Western Conference less often than the East, these matchups are going to be a good measure of Atlanta's playoff viability since the West is a much more talented conference this season.

The Portland Trail Blazers weren't even a play-in team last season, but there's reason for optimism despite their poor record. Deni Avdija proved he can be a legitimate starting wing while Toumani Camara established himself as one of the ten best defenders in the NBA. Starting center Donovan Clingan showed flashes in his rookie season, but Portland decided to double down on its front court and took intriguing center Yang Hansen from the Qingdao Eagles of the CBA in the first round of the NBA Draft. They also traded for Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday and re-signed franchise legend Damian Lillard to a three-year deal after he was waived by the Bucks. In short, there's going to be a lot of change coming to the Blazers over the next few seasons and it seems to be trending upwards.

Let's compare the two lineups.

Point Guard: Trae Young vs Jrue Holiday

Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) reacts with fans after making a three point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

If this was 2021, this might be more of a conversation. Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders to ever play and he's still got tons of ability on the defensive end despite his age. However, he's 35 years old and coming off his lowest points per game since his rookie season (11.1 points per game). He's still capable of running the offense and setting his teammates up for success. The two-time NBA champion will make a great impression on this young Portland squad, but he's not in the same realm as Young.

Young is coming off another All-Star season in which he averaged 24.2 PPG, 11.6 APG, and 3.1 RPG, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from three. He led another productive Hawks offense and relied mostly on his passing due to struggling with his efficiency as a scorer. Even so, he's still practically an offense unto himself due to his gravity as a playmaker. At his peak, it might be possible to make the case for Holiday over Young due to his ability to anchor a perimeter defense and contribute towards winning basketball. However, it isn't a conversation at this stage in their respective careers.

Advantage: Atlanta

Shooting Guard: Dyson Daniels vs Shaedon Sharpe

Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Kris Murray (24) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Dyson Daniels is, full-stop, one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He earned that reputation during his time with the Pelicans, but he took a step forward with the Hawks after being acquired in the Dejounte Murray trade. There's a case that he is the best perimeter defender in the NBA, but he needs to show it in the playoffs before he can earn that moniker. Even so, the reigning NBA steals leader had a great two-way season for the Hawks, averaging a career-high 14.1 points on a career-best 54.5 TS%. He's not the most dynamic offensive player, but he does enough to keep himself on the court so that he can exert his defensive advantage on opposing stars. He routinely takes the toughest perimeter assignment and his combination of size, timing and agility is matched by very few players.

Sharpe is quietly one of the better players on Portland's young roster. He averaged 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season on 55.1 TS%, improving his numbers from his second season. He's not consistent on either end, but he is an incredible athlete who could be a future star if he puts it together this season. Still, it isn't enough to compete with an elite defender that also has some potential on offense like Daniels.

Advantage: Atlanta

Small Forward: Zaccharie Risacher vs Deni Avdija

Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara (33) shoots behind Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Over the second half of the season, Risacher thrived in his role by blossoming into a good catch-and-shoot three-point shooter who had some nice moments on defense due to his foot speed. His shooting numbers really improved (46% from the field and 36% from three) over the course of the season. He doesn't have a ton of refinement yet to his game, but there were flashes of a developing handle and he had a great summer appearance in the EuroBasket tournament.

After starting his career with the Wizards, Avdija made a big step forward for the Blazers. He averaged 24.1 points, 10.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists over the final stretch of the season (15 games) and also put up those numbers on a career-best 60.5 TS%. He's currently the best player on the Blazers and a much better player than Risacher at the moment.

Advantage: Portland

Power Forward: Jalen Johnson vs Toumani Camara

Mar 3, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) handles the ball against Portland Trail Blazers forward Cam Reddish (5) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

All signs are poised for Johnson to take a big leap in 2025. He is a phenomenal talent who can handle the ball, rebound at an elite level and even create some of his own offense. He was averaging 18.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 5.0 APG while shooting 50% from the field and 31% from three last season before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury. He's consistently struggled to stay healthy, but there's no doubt he's one of the best young forwards in the NBA.

Camara had an excellent year for the Blazers - he averaged a career-best 11.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season while blossoming into one of the best defenders in basketball. He made the NBA All-Defense Second Team and looks like a critical part of the Blazers' lineup for years to come.

Center: Onyeka Okongwu/Kristaps Porzingis vs Donovan Clingan/Yang Hansen

Apr 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) shoots over Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan (23) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

A healthy version of Porzingis is a player that few teams have an answer for. He's coming off a season where he averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 41.2% from deep on high volume. He's also a complimentary playmaker, averaging around two assists a game in the past two seasons. Okongwu isn't quite in that tier, but he's still a solid perimeter defender who can protect the rim at an adequate level and has some utility as a play finisher with Trae Young and Johnson. He also has a jump shot that gives him some real range from outside of the paint. He shot 48% on midrange shots, which was in the 70th percentile among centers.

Clingan struggled to stay on the court due to conditioning, but he proved that he's a tenacious rim protector, averaging 1.6 blocks per game and 7.9 rebounds. He's especially difficult to deal with as an offensive rebounder. However, he's still fairly limited on offense. Yang is more offensively versatile - he drew rave reviews in Summer League for his ability to serve as a passing hub. It's not entirely out of the question for Yang to be in the same tier as players like Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis one day, but the CBA standout is going to face some growing pains as he adjusts to the NBA.

While both teams have solid options at center, Atlanta clearly has the better duo. Both Porzingis and Okongwu are solid defenders with utility on offense beyond simple layups, which is more than can be said for Yang/Clingan at this stage.

More Atlanta Hawks News:

Atlanta Hawks Officially Announce 2025 Training Camp Roster

Five Biggest Takeaways From Hawks GM Onsi Saleh's Pre-Season Press Conference

Bleacher Report's Pick For Greatest Hawks Team Ever Will Surprise You

Analyst Uses Surprising Term To Describe Hawks Offseason