Hawks New Center Has To Make This Adjustment

On Media Day, Porziņģis surprisingly mentioned he felt the Celtics were at their best when they played faster. He also listed ways he hopes to enhance the Hawks’ fastbreak offense:

“It has to be an emphasis … I like to create transition mismatches … drawing some fouls in the post … shooting my transition 3s. There’s going to be new dimensions that I can unlock for this team,” the star center concluded.

Porziņģis Struggles in Hawks Preseason Debut

The Hawks began their 2025-26 preseason with a loss against the Houston Rockets. Snyder only ran the starters and key bench contributors in the first half, while the reserves finished the second. Porziņģis shot 2-6 from the field, ending with five points, one assist, and five fouls in 15 minutes. Surprisingly, he did not grab a rebound and Houston dismantled Atlanta (53-34) on the glass.

Snyder made a distinct effort to feature Porziņģis early on offense to start the game. The long-limbed Lativan took five of his six shots in the first frame. His first points in a Hawks’ uniform came on his signature midrange bankshot.

However, the Rockets opened up a quick 12-3 lead in the first few minutes. The Hawks could not get out on the break and generate consistent open looks. In contrast, when Onyeka Okongwu replaced Porziņģis, there was a noticeable difference in pace. Atlanta went on an 8-0 run to shrink the Rockets’ lead. In fact, Okongwu led the Hawks with a plus-minus of +13, while Porziņģis finished at -13.

It’ll take some time for the Hawks’ new center to mesh with his new teammates. His preseason bounce-back opportunity arrives on Saturday night when the team travels to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.