2025 Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft Profile- Could Atlanta Take a Chance On Joan Beringer's Upside?

After finishing the season at 40-42, many would consider this a bad or lost season, but if you pay close enough attention, the Atlanta Hawks exceeded many experts' expectations. According to ESPN's BPI index, the Atlanta Hawks had a 34% chance of making the playoffs and were projected to win 36.9 games with a final overall ranking of 22. The Atlanta Hawks went on to finish with the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and make the In-Season Tournament as well as the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The Atlanta Hawks are looking to build on a retooling season with a potential playoff-oriented team that, not to mention, made the NBA In-Season Tournament Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Hawks were looking to build on this run, but unfortunately, injuries and inconsistent play plagued them in the second half of the season. However, adding 6-foot-10 Joan Beringer could help them in the frontcourt, as they've seen many injury issues in the last few seasons in that area.

Let's take a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses Joan Beringer possesses and how he fits with the Atlanta Hawks:

Strengths:

Standing at 6-foot-10 inches tall, Beringer has an explosiveness and quick athleticism to his game that many at his size don't possess. Beringer also has a high motor, which enables him to be mobile for his size, making him a potential team leader on defense. He can switch on defense with a quick recovery if he gets out of place. He can pretty much do anything that you need on the defensive side of the ball, switching on guards, and screens, and playing drop coverage while being a solid shot blocker as a rim protector. His offensive game is well-suited for the modern-day NBA play style, with Beringer's ability to run pick-and-roll, be a quick finish lob threat, and be explosive in transition, comparable to some current NBA players. Beringer possesses the potential to be a decent passer of the basketball for a young 18-year-old center.

Weaknesses:

With all the strengths on both sides of the court for Beringer, there are still some glaring things that he doesn't do well. One of the most problematic aspects for Beringer is that, despite his size and abilities, his offensive skills aren't up to par with those of today's NBA big men, such as Embiid, Jokic, and Porzingis. Although he can finish alley-oops, Beringer struggles shooting and finishing with his left hand around the basket, which can make for tough use in certain situations of games when the team needs a basket. While he shows some flashes of being able to pass the basketball, Beringer isn't the best at that, as he's averaged under one assist per game for the past three seasons. Beringer's body also needs time to develop to the NBA's level of size and physicality, as he struggles to convert through contact and defend effectively. At the same time, he does have a high motor, but he finds himself fouling his matchup, similar to Jaren Jackson Jr., who is a Defensive Player of the Year and a multi-time all-star despite this issue. There are times when he finds himself missing defensive assignments and relying more on his physicality than his basketball IQ, which can be seen as a problem at the professional level. Still, he remains a fascinating project, given his abilities, and possesses a lot of raw talent, which can be problematic, as he started playing basketball at 15 and is now 18.

Overall:

Beringer's fit in Atlanta can be enjoyable based on his upside on defense and ability to run the pick-and-roll action with Trae Young. The real question is whether veteran big man Clint Capela will return to Atlanta and contribute to his mentorship in developing into a true talent, given that he has only been playing basketball for three years. However, this will depend on whether the Hawks decide to bring Capela back in free agency. Beringer has a lot of growing to do, as he's 18 years old, and having a veteran big like Capela with similar attributes to his game could help, especially since this team is still trying to compete in the Eastern Conference, so having a solid veteran presence could help in competing with less mistakes happening. On the other side, if the Hawks do decide to move on from the 30-year-old defensive big man, this could be a good start to the future in terms of the upside and age of this Hawks young core.

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