The Christmas holidays are a time for gifts and wishes to come true. Therefore, the holiday is coming at a good time for the 2025-26 Atlanta Hawks because there’s a lot for them to wish for.
To be clear, the holidays are also about being thankful for the present state of things and the Hawks do have a couple of reasons to be thankful. Starting power forward Jalen Johnson is in the midst of an All-NBA caliber season at just 24 years old. They signed away the best player to change teams in free agency with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who’s putting up career numbers this year. Furthermore, Atlanta is likely to receive a top-five pick in an absolutely loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
However, there’s still plenty of room for improvement. The team is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 15-16 record. There’s still time for Atlanta to deliver on the projection of a top-five seed that many expected them to be. To do so, here are three wishes they likely want to be granted at some point this season.
1) Frontcourt Help (Again)
Dec 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts after a basket against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
| Brett Davis-Imagn Images
It seems like the problem of not having enough frontcourt depth rears its head every season for the Hawks. Despite adding a new starting center in Kristaps Porzingis this summer, it’s become clearly evident that they cannot rely on him to be in the lineup. That takes away a player who was capable of playing either power forward or center for the Hawks. It also puts a ton of pressure on Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu to remain healthy while taking on a ton of minutes. Mo Gueye doesn’t really have the trust of the coaching staff for a bigger role and Asa Newell is a rookie. The extended workload might be alright for Okongwu, but Johnson has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. An extended absence due to injury for Johnson might truly sink Atlanta’s season.
It’d be ideal if Atlanta had one more forward or center who could start games and hold up on defense while providing something on offense. Admittedly, it isn’t a very long list. Names like Clippers center Ivica Zubac or Bucks center Myles Turner could be realistic options for the Hawks if their frontcourt depth gets further tested.
2) Pelicans/ Bucks Losses
Dec 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) and New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) on the court in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
| Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Rooting against the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks is just good buisness for the Hawks this year. Since the better of those teams’ two first-round picks goes to Atlanta, either team needs to finish with one of the five worst records in the NBA in order to have a decent shot of landing a top-three pick. The top three picks of the 2026 NBA Draft are incredibly desirable as Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson all have a good chance of being future stars.
Unfortunately, it seems that the Pelicans have tapped into an exciting combination of Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, the rookie center New Orleans selected after trading up in the 2025 NBA Draft. The trade-up for Queen is how Atlanta landed this juicy 2026 selection and his excellent play, along with a strong rookie year from Fears and surprisingly effective Zion Williamson season off the bench, gives the Pelicans some momentum. However, the Hawks can still get a top pick if the Bucks continue their downward spiral without Giannis Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee is currently 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 12-18 record.
The best-case scenario for the Hawks is that both teams continue to lose out, giving the Hawks multiple pathways towards landing a top-five pick. It also helps their pursuit of Giannis if that pick becomes better and better since that’s a premium asset that few teams can match in a trade. Most interestingly, it also gives the Hawks a clear pathway forward without Trae Young on their roster. Young’s just returned to the lineup, which gives Atlanta time to assese his fit. If the partnership proves unproductive, it would be a Christmas miracle if the Hawks could just draft his replacement.
3) Risacher Revitalized
Dec 14, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) dribbles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images
When the Hawks took Zaccharie Risacher at the top of the 2024 NBA Draft, he was never going to be. a traditional No. 1 overall pick. Due to the lack of high-ceiling talent in the draft, the Hawks took a swing on finding a cost-controlled young wing that eventually develops into a two-way star in his role. So far, it’s unclear as to whether Risacher is closer to delivering on that promise.
In his rookie season, he broke through a slow start in the first half of the season to averaging 12.6 points on 45.8/35.5/71.1 shooting splits while finishing as a -4.2 from a plus-minus perspective. Those numbers aren’t entirely bad, but they’re not exactly a strong foundation to build on. He deserves credit for working through his slow start and wings do take a long time to develop. However, his lack of self-creation and reliance on other playmakers to set him up is incredibly frustrating at times.
To be clear, the advanced metrics support the idea that the Hawks benefit from having Risacher on the floor most of the time. He has a plus-minus of 7.7 and the Hawks’ offense is 5.9 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor – that’s in the 85th percentile among all wings. He’s improved his STL% from 1.2% as a rookie to 1.7% in his sophomore season (69th percentile among all wings). However, that offensive impact is largely buoyed by how excellent he is in transition. With him on the court, the Hawks are 3.8 points per 100 possessions better in transition scenarios (98th percentile among all wings). There is value in that, but it is somewhat muted by the fact that he doesn’t make much of a difference in the halfcourt. He doesn’t really shoot the ball well from anywhere other than the three-point line when he’s hot.
There is a big opportunity in Atlanta’s frontcourt for Risacher to step up and make an impact. He’s obviously not going to be able to play center or handle power forward duties, but a more aggressive version of the French wing who attacks the rim and finds consistency in his shot would be massive for keeping the Hawks afloat.
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