This is the first of a series of roundtable questions I’m asking the staff here at Peachtree Hoops about the Hawks this upcoming season. The first question: who is someone that will outperform expectations or break out this season?
Wes: I’m keeping my eye on Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Even though he was signed in the offseason to a long-term deal after 2.5 productive seasons off Minnesota’s bench (and figures to come off the bench here as well), I think there is some untapped offensive upside there.
He just turned 27 this September, and on a Hawks team without a “natural” backup point guard, I could see ‘NAW’ stepping into the role as more of an on-ball creator when Trae Young sits. Defense has gotten him on the floor to this point in his career, but my prediction is he has the handle and shooting to top, say, 12 points per game this season even in limited minutes.
Hassan: Onyeka Okongwu already kind of broke out last season, averaging 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds in 31 minutes a night over Atlanta’s final 40 games while taking over for Clint Capela as the team’s starting center. He was spectacular in their play-in elimination game against Miami, going for 28 points on 12-for-19 shooting (4-for-8 from three!) to go along with 12 rebounds and three steals. Even more impressive, he was able to be relatively impactful on defense while logging just two fouls in 50 minutes of play. How’s that for growth?
Yet, after trading for Kristaps Porzingis over the summer, it appears that as long as the Latvian stays healthy this season, Okongwu will return to a role off the bench. That said, I wouldn’t expect that to slow his development, and I actually think the addition of Porzingis could help Okongwu have the strongest season of his career in 2025-26.
Okongwu is already one of the most efficient scoring bigs in the NBA. His true shooting percentage as a starter (65.2%) ranked seventh amongst the 34 centers who started at least 40 games last season. This year, going up against backups whenever Porzingis needs a blow, I’d expect him to have similar, if not more, success.
Okongwu also looked more comfortable shooting from deep last season (36.2% on 2.4 attempts per game as a starter), which will not only help space the floor when he is operating as the lone big this season, but will also make it easier for Quin Snyder to experiment with Okongwu/Porzingis ‘double big’ lineups – as we’ve seen during preseason. In these minutes, Okongwu can pummel mismatches when guarded by a smaller defender and/or feast on a steady diet of corner threes if the defense gets preoccupied by an action involving Young and Porzingis.
On the defensive end of the floor, Okongwu’s combination of size, foot-speed and agility make him one of the most switchable bigs in the NBA and I could not be more excited about the defensive upside of a Hawks ‘switch-everything’ lineup featuring Okongwu, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson.
Okongwu could be Atlanta’s version of Naz Reid this season. He’s a deep sleeper for the ‘6MOTY’ award.
Chase: Zaccharie Risacher is poised to take a big leap in his second year. The former number one overall pick averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last season. The experience he gained throughout the year, paired with his work on the French national team this summer, sets him up well to exceed expectations.
I expect him not only to improve his offensive production, raising his scoring average to around 16 to 18 points per game, but also to take a step forward defensively. His most recent preseason game is a great example of what he can accomplish on a nightly basis. Risacher could be one of the league’s biggest surprises in his sophomore season.
Graham: I’ll put forward two players: one who will outperform expectations and one who may breakout. I think people are going to be surprised at what Luke Kennard is going to bring to the table. I think for many he falls into the ol’ Kevin Huerter reputation of ‘He’s just a shooter,’ but he’s more than that.
He brings a passing dimension to his elite shooting, and having a player like this on the perimeter who can be in place to hit a three, or attack a closeout and find a pass is going to be good for the Hawks. Additionally, he can handle a few possessions in the half-court and be another player who can relieve some pressure off of Young handling the ball and open things up for Young. Kennard is going to be an important contributor off the bench, even if he’s one of the players who many will obviously talk about less than the likes of Porzingis or Alexander-Walker.
For a breakout player, and I don’t know what his projection is now after the summer acquisitions, but I would have had Mo Gueye as a player to look for to make a bit of a (relative) leap this season. I think there were enough flashes, especially the Orlando play-in game, that suggested there could be more to be had with Gueye.
His place in the rotation is probably up in the air, but if there’s any absences from Porzingis or Okongwu, the Hawks will need Gueye to be somewhat ready. I’m not as high on Gueye as some are, but I’m certainly intrigued.
Malik: Zaccharie Risacher had a solid rookie season last year, and during the second half of the season, he really made strides and looked more comfortable every game. I do think there is another level that he can reach, and I believe he’ll be the breakout player for the Hawks this season.
Throughout the preseason, Risacher showed some things in his game that could help him and the team this year, and his ability to create his own shot will be big. Another thing that he showed this preseason was making plays for others, as he had some good passes to a few of his teammates. A Year 2 improvement should be in the cards for Risacher.
