The Atlanta Hawks are still figuring out exactly what they are after reshaping their roster, but early returns since acquiring CJ McCollum suggest Quin Snyder’s evolving offensive hierarchy is beginning to produce results. The Jalen Johnson-led squad has won two of its first three games after the NBA All-Star break and is navigating a relatively forgiving stretch of schedule. From February 23 through March 30, the Hawks play just five road games. Of the 14 home contests during that span, seven opponents are already focused on improving their NBA Draft lottery odds.
Winning the Eastern Conference's sixth seed and avoiding the NBA Play-In Tournament altogether is still a long-shot possibility after trading Trae Young. Still, a new starting lineup of Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu has provided offensive balance without sacrificing too much defense. McCollum is the only real target-point, but the other four are doing a decent job of protecting the rim and keeping opponents out of the paint. The ninth-placed Hawks (28-31) have shown improvement in points in the paint allowed over the past five games, for example.
It shows that this squad is still playing with pride and commitment to improving. Wins should follow, given the schedule situation. Snyder truly believes they could pull off some postseason upsets along the way, especially if McCollum catches fire for a few pivotal games.
“We're in a bit of a fight. We've played without a point guard this season, and we've played without a pure center this season. So the influx of a guy like CJ that gives us another ball handler, another pick and roll player, can be really valuable to everyone,” Snyder explained. “We're going through the process of integrating those guys, and we're going to keep grinding.”
Though the offensive hierarchy remains a work in progress, Snyder is measuring success beyond the win column.
“I'm really more focused on how we're playing, how we're growing, and how we're coming together,” stated Snyder. “We want to win every game, but to an extent. You anticipate some rough sailing anytime your team changes. Hopefully, we'll play in a way that we can replicate and will be successful.”
The Hawks, now no longer employing Young, have been operating without a single traditional floor general. Instead, Snyder has distributed playmaking duties across the roster, a shift he described as born of circumstance. What has emerged is a multi-headed approach to playmaking that distributes creation across the roster rather than routing everything through a single lead guard.
CJ McCollum helps Hawks
A 22-year-old Australian has been the most visible example of that evolution. Originally acquired for his defense, Dyson Daniels has grown into a primary ball handler by circumstance and, according to Snyder, has embraced the challenge.
“Necessity can be the mother of invention,” Snyder noted. “Dyson has really evolved into that (point guard) role, which has been great to see him progress. He is making plays for other people, handling the ball, and guarding that position. (Daniels) has really filled that role for us and grown as a player.”
Johnson has been allowed to stick with what's comfortable, with great success. Thankfully, the Hawks have their young face of the franchise in-house already, share a clear development plan, and know how to best use that future MVP-caliber talent now.
“Jalen, again, he is unique in his ability to pass and handle the ball, particularly in the open court. (Johnson) is not in a position where we are asking him to quote-unquote run the team, but there are a lot of things we do where he starts with the ball,” admitted Snyder. “We put him in the pick-and-roll as much as any other player. That is a big key for us. That versatility with a number of players and having multiple playmakers is something that we really feel like is important for us and that we try to take advantage of. Jalen is at the front of that list.”
The result is an offense without a rigid hierarchy. Daniels organizes the attack, Johnson initiates actions from the frontcourt, and McCollum provides scoring punch. Nickeil Alexander-Walker rounds out the playmaking picture as an unconventional but effective contributor. Snyder has encouraged the 26-year-old guard to be more aggressive offensively over the next few months.
“As far as the playmaking goes, you know (Alexander-Walker) can get in the lane,” Snyder said. “He is not your typical playmaker, but I think he is unselfish and willing to get off the ball when he is guarded…We've tried to encourage him to really be aggressive in shooting. Even some contested shots from three.”
With McCollum adding another reliable pick-and-roll operator and a veteran scoring option off the wing, the Snyder's rotations are generating enough offense to stay competitive, even as the roster continues to find its footing. With a soft schedule ahead and a newly minted offensive identity, the Hawks are betting that necessity-driven invention leads to the NBA Playoffs. That test will show the front office just what is needed to chase down the top four seeds next season.
