Jock Landale Could Be the Hawks' Most Underrated Rotation Piece

The Atlanta Hawks have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Even so, Jock Landale has the potential to be a key reserve for this squad in 2026-27.

Some will find that surprising. Landale has been underestimated throughout most of his NBA career. The Hawks won't mind if rival teams underestimate him.

Quietly, he's been one of the NBA's better backup big men for a couple of seasons.

Last year, Landale averaged 16.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per 75 possessions while shooting 39.1% from long range in 68 contests.

Sometimes, a big man shooting such a high percentage from deep leads to skepticism, but that shouldn't be the case with Landale. In 2024-25, he hit 42.3% from deep for the Houston Rockets.

Landale's ability to space the floor from the five position makes him a valuable commodity. It's a skill set every team is seeking at the 5, but with Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels on the squad, it's particularly important to the Hawks.

Yet, it's not all he brings to the table.

Landale is one of the better passing bigs in the league. Defensively, he's a mixed bag. Landale has quick hands and good positioning instincts, but it's fair to say that his poor lateral mobility sometimes lands him out of position.

That can be an issue, but Landale is Onyeka Okongwu's backup. Okongwu is one of the most agile bigs in the league.

This leads to another way Landale can be particularly effective.

As defensively versatile as Okongwu is, at 6-foot-8, he's an undersized big. The same could not be said for Landale. At 6-foot-11 and 255 pounds, he's got solid positional size.

Okongwu may be small for a 5, but he's more than large enough to play the 4. So, there's no reason why Landale and Okongwu can't play together for stretches when the Hawks want to go big.

That won't be his primary function.

The most valuable way Landale can help the Hawks is by being the best backup he can be. The fact that Atlanta can have a stretch five on the floor for 48 minutes every game gives it an advantage over most teams in the NBA.

When he's injured, the Hawks don't have that same capacity. So, here's hoping for the big Aussie's good health in 2026-27.

Even a team as deep as Atlanta needs a player like Landale.