Jock Landale’s Return Won’t Fix Hawks’ Most Alarming Weakness

Jock Landale is back for the Atlanta Hawks. He returned Monday against the Los Angeles Lakers after he missed four straight games with a left hip strain. That's good, but he may not be the answer to the Hawks' most pressing concerns.

Landale strained the hip Oct. 31 in New Orleans after 1:22 of playing time, and Atlanta won all four games he missed. Entering Monday's game, he was averaging 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 44.7% from the field and 17.6% from 3-point range across seven appearances. He re-signed with the Hawks this offseason on a one-year, $14.1 million deal.

Specifically, the Hawks' biggest issue in 2026-27 has been rim protection. They're bleeding points on the interior. Opponents are scoring 53.6 points in the paint per game against Atlanta, which ranks 28th in the NBA.

The Hawks are the best team in the bottom five in this stat by a wide margin. The 4-6 New Orleans Pelicans are there, but otherwise, we're talking about teams with no playoff hopes in 2026-27. This is not the company that the Hawks want to keep.

But unfortunately, Landale is not the guy to get them out of there.

Last season, opponents shot 61.8% on shot attempts from closer than six feet when Landale was their primary defender. That is not good.

For context, the league's best rim protectors hold opponents to under 50.0% in this stat. If you're hovering around 55.0%, you're doing a fine job, but once you're north of 60.0%, it's hard to call you a good rim protector.

It's never been Landale's strong suit.

He has some defensive utility. Landale has a knack for drawing charges, and he gets more steals than an average big man. He's also adept at guarding other big men.

That's all well and good, but when it comes to stifling star guards or downhill wings, Landale isn't much use. That's what's been haunting the Hawks this year. Sure, Landale would have come in handy when the Hawks lost consecutive games to Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets on Oct. 24 and Oct. 26, but they're an exception to a rule: More NBA teams are built around the types of stars that give Atlanta trouble.

So what's the solution?

In time, the Hawks are likely to require a big man who can reliably defend the rim.

That could mean giving Zuby Ejiofor a more extensive look. The No. 23 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft has picked up backup minutes during Landale's absence. It's possible that he'll play his way ahead of Landale in the rotation. That said, if the undersized rookie isn't ready, it could mean making a trade.

It doesn't have to be a blockbuster. The Hawks don't have to replace Onyeka Okongwu in the starting lineup. Instead, they could target a high-end primary backup who they can give more run to when they're getting hammered in the paint.

In the meantime, they should still be happy to get Landale back.