The Biggest Question the Atlanta Hawks Still Haven't Answered This Offseason

The Hawks have had an active offseason, but have they answered every question ahead of next season?

Apr 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder reacts on the sideline during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Atlanta Hawks have had a very active offseason and I think they have made their team better ahead of the 2026-2027 season.

CJ McCollum is back and is going to assume his role as the starting leading guard for the Hawks. Atlanta had one of the best starting fives in the NBA after the All-Star Break, and all five of them are back. The Hawks still needed to improve their depth, and I think they did that.

Trades for Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins are going to give the Hawks playoff-level rotation players off the bench, something that they did not have much of against the Knicks. Drafting Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar might be moves that are going to impact the Hawks more so down the line, but Flemings in particular might be able to play right away in a backup point guard role. Jock Landale re-signed with the team on a one-year deal and will be the backup center, unless another big move is made.

I think the depth and defense are the two biggest areas in which the Hawks improved.

But what is something they have not answered with their moves this offseason?

Does this team have enough rim protection and three-point shooting?

Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Hawks entered the offseason needing to add a center and with limited options around them, they ended up bringing back Landale to be the backup to Onyeka Okongwu.

Okongwu is one of the most underrated centers in the NBA and Landale is a fine backup, especially if he plays the way he did down the stretch of the season, but neither of them are rim protectors or elite rebounders.

Landale was missed a great deal in the series against the Knicks (no, he would not have swung the series) and the level of rim protection and elite rebounding that New York had stifled Atlanta. That was something that Atlanta needed to fix this offseason and to no fault of their own, they did not.

There were not a lot of options for the Hawks to really upgrade at center. Barring the Thunder moving Isaiah Hartenstein or someone like Jarrett Allen being available, there was no clear-cut option for the Hawks. They could have signed Jusuf Nurkic, Robert Williams III, or Mitchell Robinson, but those players come with injury risks (Williams III and Robinson) or defensive concerns (Nurkic).

There was no way the Hawks were going to pay the price the Lakers did for Walker Kessler and did not have the space to pursue Jalen Duren. Atlanta will need to find a player to pair with Okongwu, but for now they are going with the continuity that Landale brings.

I will add the other concern I have is the three point shooting.

I don't think the Hawks are going to be one of the worst in the league or anything like that, but this team is one of the top in the NBA in three-point attempts and not being a good enough shooting team is going to be an advantage for someone else.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker shot 40% from three last season, Jock Landale shot 39%, and Onyeka Okongwu shot close to 38% in his best season. Aaron Wiggins has been a very good shooter since he entered the league and I don't expect that to change.

But everyone else was right around average.

McCollum and Johnson need to be more consistent shooters this season. McCollum and Johnson both hovered around 35% last season, which was growth from Johnson. To become a Top 10 level player in the NBA, Johnson has to become a better all-around scoring threat and that includes three-point shooting.

Dyson Daniels has well -documented shooting woes, though he is still an effective offensive player. Lu Dort has shot well from three in the past, but is coming off a rough shooting year with the Thunder. Kingston Flemings struggled mightily shooting the ball in Summer League. Any of the Hawks backup power forward options (Mo Gueye, Zuby Ejiofor, and Asa Newell) all carry shooting inconsistencies and are not clean fits in any lineup.

Good teams can withstand one primary player not being able to stretch the floor, but having multiple inconsistent shooters on the floor can make things difficult on offense. This is a question that could have a very good answer, but there is downside.