The One Thing Each of the Atlanta Hawks Starters Needs To Improve The Most Next Season

The Hawks are bringing back their entire starting lineup from last season, but where do they need to improve?

Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) is guarded by New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the first half of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Continuity is not always the best thing for an NBA team, as a shakeup is sometimes needed to improve the team, but since the Atlanta Hawks did not get to see their starting lineup across an entire season, it might be worth getting a glimpse at seeing what this lineup can do.

After the All-Star Break, the Hawks finished with a 20-6 record and their starting lineup of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu was one of the best in the NBA over that span and finished with a +21.4 rating in 822 possessions. That is not the biggest sample size, but that is why the Hawks opted to bring back McCollum and add to their depth.

While that starting lineup played well over the course of nearly 30 games, where do they need to improve?

CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Shot Creating

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) is defended by New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) in the fourth quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I am cheating a bit by including both guards here, but they both have the same problem.

One of the reasons the Hawks drafted Kingston Flemings with the No. 8 overall pick was because they did not have a true point guard on the roster. Having Trae Young, one of the best shot creators and passers in the league, then going to McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (who are both great players in their own right) is a huge downgrade when it comes passing.

While McCollum is not going to transform and lead the league in assists overnight, Atlanta could use an uptick from him in that area. He finished with a 21.1 AST%, which is only in the 16th percentile for his position.

Alexander-Walker showed a lot of growth last season as an offensive player, including as a scorer. Can he take a leap in other areas this season?

Flemings is who the Hawks hope is the lead guard guard of the future, but he is not going to start now and the Hawks need more from the guards who are.

Dyson Daniels: Three-point shooting

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) grabs a loose ball against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This one is a bit obvious, but for Daniels to become a better version of the player that he is, he needs to improve as a shooter and that would also help the Hawks become a better team.

Daniels three-point attempts per game dropped from 3.1 to 1.5 last season and his three-point percentage dropped from a career best 34% in 2024-2025 to just 18.8% last season. Daniels does not need to transform into Stephen Curry, but for the Hawks to be a more dangerous team this season, Daniels getting back to his previous level (or improving) of three-point shooting would be huge.

Jalen Johnson: Scoring at will

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) shoots against the New York Knicks in the third quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Johnson does a little bit of everything well, as he nearly averaged a triple-double last season en route to his first All-NBA selection.

However, the playoffs showed that Johnson needs to be able to score at will when teams with elite defenders take away his ability to pass and get his teammates involved. The Knicks did that better than anyone and showed that Johnson is a very good player, but is not at the level of the very best in the league.

We migth not know until the playoffs role around again, but Johnson needs to improve in this area.

Onyeka Okongwu- Offensive Rebounding

Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) hangs on the rim after a dunk against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and guard Miles McBride (2) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At this time last year, I would have pointed out that Okongwu needed to improve his three-point shooting if he wanted to become the stretch five the Hawks have envisioned. Okongwu would go on to have the best shooting season of his career and is one of the better shooting bigs in the league .

However, Okongwu needs to become a better offensive rebounder. Atlanta did not go out and get a center who is an elite rebounder via trade or free agency, meaning that he needs to step up this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, Okongwu finished with a -2.8 ORB% last season, 16th percentile for bigs.