The Atlanta Hawks finished their first week at 2-3 after losing to the Miami Heat, and the result exposed both sides of their early-season identity. They can force turnovers and get out in transition. They can also be pushed around in the paint and on the glass.
That is why Onyeka Okongwu is being searched now: the Hawks needed another point guard after losing Trae Young before the season, and Kingston Flemings has already gone from a scoreless debut to a game that turned heads. After opening with 0-for-5 shooting and no points, the eighth overall pick answered against the Miami Heat with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting, including 3-of-5 from deep, plus five rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block.
The numbers around him explain why the night mattered beyond one strong stat line. The Hawks ranked fourth in the league in total steals after the first week and fourth in points off turnovers, and they were in the top five in fastbreak points. That is the kind of pace-driven start that can travel. But in their three losses they were outrebounded 147-117 and outscored in the paint 172-164, and the Miami Heat put up 70 points in the paint against them.
That split leaves the Hawks with a clear problem to solve. Their defense has been active enough to create extra possessions, but their interior resistance has not matched it, and they averaged the third fewest blocks in the league. If that does not improve, the turnovers they create will keep feeding a run game that looks better on paper than it does over 48 minutes.
Flemings' line against the Miami Heat gives Atlanta something to build on, especially after a first game in which he could not buy a basket. Jalen Johnson also gave them production against Houston in the first matchup, with 16 assists, 26 points and nine rebounds, which is another sign the Hawks can generate offense in more than one way. The question now is whether they can keep the steals and transition scoring while making the paint harder to score in, because the first week says those strengths and weaknesses are already linked.
