The Atlanta Hawks may have to lean heavily on big man Onyeka Okongwu in the frontcourt this season.
After making the playoffs last season, the Atlanta Hawks have had a strong offseason and are looking to remain in the mix in the Eastern Conference.
It will take a teamwide effort to have a successful season, but according to ESPN's Zach Kram, the "biggest X factor" for Atlanta is big man Onyeka Okongwu.
Kram noted that the Hawks have lots of perimeter depth after making some key additions this summer, but he added that the team doesn't have a ton of depth options at center. As a result, Okongwu has a "great deal of responsibility resting on his shoulders," according to the ESPN analyst.
Okongwu's game has some limitations, but he has shown consistent growth since coming into the league in 2020. He has increased his scoring production with each passing year in the league, and in recent seasons, he has gained invaluable starting experience.
In the 2025-26 campaign, he averaged a career-high 15.2 points per game across 74 appearances while making a career-high 63 starts. He shot 48.0 percent from the field and showed significant improvement from beyond the arc, where he shot 37.6 percent. He also averaged 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
His ability to stretch the floor could be a major factor moving forward. After he flashed it in the regular season, it continued in the playoffs against the New York Knicks, as he shot 45.5 percent from 3-point range in the first round.
Okongwu is a bit undersized for the center position, and there are certainly some matchups that can give him problems as a defender (as seen in the postseason). But as the 2026-27 season approaches, the team is betting on him to hold down the fort at the 5, and he is going to have a chance to answer the call.
Behind Okongwu is backup center Jock Landale, who will also have to provide serviceable minutes. Overall last season, the 30-year-old averaged 10.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from long range.
The Hawks gave him a one-year deal worth about $14 million this offseason in order to keep him around after initially acquiring him last season. Clearly, the team knew that having a playable center behind Okongwu was an important box to check.
But depth in that department is still thin, so it certainly makes sense to see Okongwu as an X factor for the team going into the new season. The center position will be a key area to watch for Atlanta.
