The One Thing That Would Propel The Hawks Into Contender Status

Last season, the Atlanta Hawks were inconsistent but finished with the best possible outcome. To start, Atlanta made a splash before the season with a trade for Kristaps Porzingis that ended up being a swing and a miss, then moved on from franchise point guard Trae Young.

However, once these trades happened, the Hawks began to take off and figured out ways to turn the tables on a struggling season. By the end of the regular season, Atlanta had found themselves back in the NBA Playoffs after being nearly out at the 10th seed to start the new year.

Once the postseason came, the Hawks showed that they could compete with the eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks, as they were the only team to take them at least six games. But even though Atlanta kept things competitive, they still lost and showed a need for a slight bit more before taking the potential next step.

While there has been constant speculation since the playoffs about what Atlanta has been missing, we've yet to come to a conclusion.

Let's take a look at what Atlanta is missing from becoming a legitimate title contender.

What are the Hawks missing?

Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) argues with referee Tyler Ricks (95) against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it comes to what Atlanta is missing, it honestly comes down to a few things, all of which are glaringly obvious. To start, the Hawks need a true two-way franchise center, which they passed up in the draft this year for a franchise point guard.

As of now, Atlanta has decided to run with Onyeka Okongwu again as their starting center moving forward, but he doesn't change the game enough for them to be a true contender. Okongwu provides nice floor spacing and interior defense, which played a significant role in Atlanta's turnaround post-All-Star break, where he had a 98.9 defensive rating that qualifies as elite.

In the playoffs, Okongwu began to show his defensive prowess. In his matchup against Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks, Okongwu struggled with stopping New York from getting paint penetration, as they were able to score relentlessly inside and out-rebound Atlanta consistently.

Overall, Okongwu couldn't provide much as he dealt with physical disadvantages due to his inability to contest shots or keep New York inside. Moving forward, Okongwu would be a solid bench piece but not someone I would rely on in the starting lineup, as teams can clearly attack him due to his lack of size in the playoffs; but, offensively, he's a solid option.

Lastly, I would say the Hawks don't have a consistent go-to No.1 option on their team who's ready for the moment. In this year's playoffs, Jalen Johnson looked as if he wasn't ready for the moment and regressed from what he was in the regular season, leading to veteran CJ McCollum having to lead the way for Atlanta.

While McCollum had solid performances, he wasn't consistent enough to get the job done. Atlanta had multiple star players they could have possibly gotten this offseason, but elected to stay with a young rebuilding roster.

Clearly, if Atlanta wanted to contend by now, they would have made a move, but for now, Hawks fans should be optimistic about what they could see in this young team's future. That's not saying that Atlanta can't come out next season and put the league on notice again, as situations like this have occurred in the past where a sleeper young team has a big season despite being overlooked by other supposed top -tier teams.

In the meantime, we will have to wait and see what the Hawks look like, but either way, it should be a fun season, and fans should be excited to see if the Hawks can make the playoffs as a top six seed.

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