There is still a lot of player movement left before the NBA 2020-21 season begins. With all the teams making the necessary moves to shake up their roster and bolster their claim to the title, the Atlanta Hawks are not too far behind. With a No. 6 pick in Wednesday night’s draft, they added center Onyeka Okongwu to their young core.
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Many had projected that the Hawks will go for PG Tyrese Haliburton in a bid to take some of the load off of their star player, Trae Young.
However, they were granted an opportunity to bag an even better and bigger player as he was expected to be a Top-10 draft pick but rose to the Top-5, and luckily fell into Atlanta’s lap.
The Hawks finished 20-47 last season. But it seems like the Nigerian star is joining a team that is hoping to turn it around this year. With a decent rebuild, they will focus on improving this year and winning more games.
And it looks like Onyeka is thrilled to start his career with the Hawks and bring the change they need. He stated, “It’s beautiful that people are telling me, ‘Welcome to Atlanta and we can’t wait to see you. The Hawks made the right selection in the draft.’
“To all the Hawks fans, I’m going to work my tail off. I want to be able to help you guys win…bring that winning culture back to Atlanta. I just can’t wait to get to work.”
"To all the Hawks fans, I'm going to work my tail off. I want to be able to help you guys win…bring that winning culture back to Atlanta. I just can't wait to get to work."
– @BigO21_'s reaction to all the love from Hawks fans. pic.twitter.com/7XbgbGHVid
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 21, 2020
How does Onyeka Okongwu fit with the Atlanta Hawks?
Getting to play with the likes of Trae Young will be excellent for a rookie like Onyeka, who will help enhance his offense. Onyeka’s passing skills and vision of the floor will help the team bring in some good shots.
He had a fantastic season while playing for the University of South Carolina. He averaged 16.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and around 3 blocks per game. With his offensive and defensive prowess, he is THE asset that the Hawks have been thirsting for.
The only downside to getting Onyeka is his foot injury. This means it could be a while before he makes his way to the rotation and gets big minutes in the game.
Two NBA sources: Onyeka Okongwu has a foot injury that could cost him training camp and maybe some of the regular season. Could impact where he's chosen in tonight's NBA draft (but not a lot).
— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) November 18, 2020
With a coach like Pierce Lloyd and teammates like John Collins and Young, Okongwu fits well into the Hawks. Do you think the rookie can do what he claims during his time with the Hawks?
