Updated Atlanta Hawks Starting Lineup and Rotation Projection After Summer League

Summer League has wrapped up, and now, the NBA heads into its quietest period until training camp begins in late September. There are still some decisions to be made, including with the Atlanta Hawks' crowded roster, but things are more or less in place for next season.

Summer League was a chance for teams, including the Hawks, to see some of their younger players get reps and when Atlanta had their full alottment of players, they were undefeated in Las Vegas Summer League.

Did the past couple of weeks change anything about the Hawks projected rotation for this upcoming season? Let's break it down.

Note: Atlanta currently has 16 players on its roster and will need to trim it down to 15 by the time the season begins.

Starting Lineup

G- CJ McCollum
G- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
G/F- Dyson Daniels
F- Jalen Johnson
C- Onyeka Okongwu

Nothing that happened in Summer League is going to change the starting lineup, and that is not unexpected.

CJ McCollum is going to be the lead guard for the Hawks and this team will need his scoring in halfcourt situations. He is one of the veteran leaders of this team, but I do think it would help the Hawks if others in the starting lineup will step up, that way the Hawks are not relying on a soon to be 35-year old guard do the bulk of their scoring.

Alexander-Walker is looking to follow up his big breakout season with more consistency. Barring an unexpected trade, Alexander-Walker is going to enter the season in the starting lineup, unlike last year when he was expected to come off the bench. He will be one of the team's top defenders and he showed a lot of growth when it came to scoring last season. What is in store for year two?

Dyson Daniels improving aspects of his offensive game could really unlock more things for the Hawks. It is not just his shooting, it is his ability to finish at the rim and be more aggressive at going to the rim. Daniels has a nice floater he can use in the paint and if he can be more of an effective scorer and distributor, I think that is where Atlanta can really improve.

Jalen Johnson had an All-NBA season and made his first All-Star team as well. He showed a lot of growth and despite his disappointing playoff series against the Knicks, Johnson's ceiling has not been tapped into. Three-point shooting consistency and ability to make shots in the halfcourt instead of relying on transition offense is the next step in his evolution.

Onyeka Okongwu is another member of the Hawks who had his career-best season. Okongwu became a legitimate three-point shooter, and his defense and rebounding are very underrated. The Hawks need to hope they are healthy and that Okongwu does not have to overextend himself in the regular season.

Top of the Rotation

G- Kingston Flemings
G/F- Aaron Wiggins
C- Jock Landale

I think these three players are safely going to be in the rotation every night for Atlanta.

What Summer League did confirm for me is that Flemings is likely to be the backup point guard for the Hawks this season. I had him in that spot heading into Summer League, but Flemings ability to distribute the ball, run the offense, and play defense was what Atlanta had to hope to see.

Wiggins was one of the Hawks big acquisitions this offseason and they were able to land him for just a pair of second round picks. Wiggins is going to help the Hawks defense, as well as their three-point shooting and he should be arguably their top bench player.

Landale is back as the Hawks backup center and Atlanta is hoping that he can continue to produce in this role, as he did after being acquired at the trade deadline. Atlanta needs Landale to stay healthy, as their depth beyond him is a question mark.

Fighting for playing time

F- Zaccharie Risacher
F- Corey Kispert
G- Buddy Hield
G- Devin Carter
F- Zuby Ejiofor
F- Mouhamed Gueye
F- Asa Newell

At least two of these players will be included in the regular season rotation in my opinion.

I will note, one or more of these players is likely to be either traded or waived as the Hawks trim their roster down to 15. Hield, Kispert, and Gueye (after the injury news) are the most likely candidates.

Gueye was slated to likely be the backup power forward for Atlanta, but suffered a foot injury this month and will be re-evaluated in 3-4 months. This puts him out for training camp and preseason, and with his deal being non-guaranteed, there is a chance that he could be waived to create room for the roster. Due to his defense and cheap salary, I think that would only happen if Atlanta could not move a player like Hield or Kispert, but it is a possibility now, especially when you consider the Hawks drafted Asa Newell last year and Zuby Ejiofor this year.

I think Atlanta would love for Risacher to become a part of this rotation and be able to find consistent minutes, and I do think that playing alongside a point guard like Flemings is going to help Risacher.

Carter was an interesting acquisition for Atlanta. He has flashed real defensive ability, but the offense has not come along and a fresh start away from Sacramento might be what he needs. He could fit into a defensive specialist role while also being a ball-handler in the event that one of McCollum/NAW/McCollum is out or injured.

Ejiofor was arguably the Hawks most impressive Summer League Player. His defense was awesome and his shooting was better than expected, not to mention his physicality and ability to guard multiple positions. I viewed him as a developmental player coming into Summer League, but I think he did enough to see some rotation minutes when the season comes around. The preseason will be huge for him.

Newell did not dominate as much as I thought he would in Summer League, but his offensive process was still sound and I think he will have a chance to step into the rotation given the Gueye injury.

Kispert and Hield could be moved and if they are not, I think it is not likely that they play a major role night-to-night.

Developmental year

C- Henri Veesaar

Veesaar was solid in Summer League and I think the potential is there for him to play at some point in the season, but it would not surprise me if he sticks in the G-League next season.

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