The Atlanta Hawks are entering training camp with a noticeably different identity: more perimeter defense, more postseason experience and a bigger leadership role for Jalen Johnson.
At the team’s media day Monday, coach Quin Snyder and players pointed to offseason additions Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins as pieces who bring championship experience and a defensive edge. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the Hawks also recently added veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
Atlanta wants to be difficult on the perimeter
A potential defensive group featuring Dort, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker gives Atlanta multiple physical defenders to use against opposing guards and wings. Daniels said the group would like to establish itself among the league’s best defensive trios, but acknowledged it has to prove that on the court.
Wiggins and Dort also arrive with experience in high-pressure postseason situations, something Hawks players said can help a younger roster learn how to handle close games.
Jalen Johnson steps further into leadership
Johnson is entering his sixth NBA season and said he wants to become someone teammates can rely on beyond basketball. Rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor joined some of Johnson’s offseason workouts in California, giving the group an early chance to build chemistry.
The questions now move from media day to training camp: how the new defensive pieces fit together, which lineups Snyder favors and whether the Hawks can turn added experience into a deeper postseason run.
