The Hawks need to be worried about this above all else this year

After the acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Luke Kennard, there’s palpable excitement around the Atlanta Hawks.

Trae Young finally has a roster around him that complements his skill set — long, strong defensively, and great shooters.

Dyson Daniels and NAW are two of the best perimeter defenders in the Association. Kennard has led the league in shooting from beyond the arc multiple times. Porzingis is a stretch big that can defend the rim and knock down three-pointers.

Young has never had a cast like this in his career, but there is something to be worried about if you’re the Hawks — injuries.

Injuries derailed last season, and they could certainly derail this upcoming campaign. The Hawks have key players who are injury-prone, and if the club loses them for an extended period of time, it could prove to be detrimental to Atlanta’s aspirations.

Two of the Hawks’ three best players have extensive injury histories. Kristaps Porzingis only played in 42 games this past season, which was his lowest regular-season total since 2021. Over the last four seasons, he’s averaged less than 54 games per year. It’s almost a foregone conclusion that Porzingis will miss at least 20-30 games.

Since becoming a full-time starter during the 2023-24 season, Jalen Johnson has only played in 92 out of a possible 164 games. The Hawks were overachieving during their 2024-25 campaign, and it was completely deflated when Johnson’s season ended with labrum surgery.

While he’s not as important as Porzingis or Johnson, Kobe Bufkin is expected to fill a significant role and garner backup point guard minutes, but he has also yet to stay healthy since being drafted ahead of the 2023-34 season, playing in only 27 games across two seasons.

The Hawks are going to be must-watch TV this year in Atlanta. It has the makings of a special season, as long as they can stay healthy.

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