Onyeka Okongwu

Okongwu was one of the bright spots for Atlanta in this one as he got off to an excellent start, knocking down a pair of three-pointers as part of a nine-point outburst in the opening stanza. He’s reached double-digit points in five consecutive games since the start of November and is averaging over 16 points and nine rebounds during that span. The Hawks will attempt to get back on track when the face the Bulls in a road matchup on Friday.

Okongwu suffered a throat contusion early in the first quarter when he was inadvertently elbowed by Nets forward Julius Randle. The good news is that shortly after the Hawks listed Okongwu as questionable to return, he returned to the bench and got the all-clear. Zuby Ejiofor replaced Okongwu at the time of the injury.

That’s back-to-back good games for Okongwu who seems to be bouncing back from the tough start. Jalen Johnson (ankle) is still out which has helped Okongwu with shot attempts. There will be some regression wants he comes back, but he should return mid round value for the rest of the season barring injury. If you can pull off a sell high after the past few games, I’d look to see if that is a possibility.

Okongwu has been mildly disappointing this season, so it was good to see him have a good game. He got some more stocks which have been lacking at this point. The minutes aren’t going anywhere, so he should continue to have this role barring injury. In dynasty, if he were to ever get traded, his role could be in jeopardy given the fact that he’s an undersized center who doesn’t defend at a super high level.

It has been a rough start to the year for Okongwu, but he was finally able to get things going in this game. Entering this game, his season high for scoring was 11 points, and he hadn’t recorded a double-double yet. This was by far his best performance of the year and hopefully a sign of things to come. He’ll look to keep it going against the Pelicans on Saturday.

To put it mildly, it has been a rough start to the year for Okongwu. This was his best performance of the year as he posted season highs in points, rebounds and steals. That isn’t saying much, but his lack of minutes has been the biggest concern. Only one game was impacted by a blowout, but he is currently averaging 4.5 fewer minutes per game that what he saw last season. Unless that changes, he won’t be able to make as much of an impact as he did last year.

After scoring 13 points in Thursday’s exhibition against the Spurs, Okongwu’s production increased on Saturday. At the time of publication, the Hawks center’s Yahoo! ADP sat just outside the first 50 picks. That’s a fair expectation for Okongwu, who recorded career-best averages in points, assists, steals, blocks and three-pointers last season.

After logging 14 minutes in Atlanta’s preseason opener on Monday, Okongwu played 22 minutes on Thursday. Matching up with Victor Wembanyama is never easy, but the Hawks’ starting center was relatively productive. As of Thursday evening, Okongwu’s ADP sat just a few spots outside the top-50, which is a realistic landing spot for him in 12-team drafts.

Okongwu continues to produce stat lines that play well for fantasy managers. Unfortunately, he has struggled to compete down low against Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, which is why the Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 48-27. Okongwu is effective in many ways, but his struggles in the paint against bigger players have been evident in this series. He’ll need to be better in Game 6 for the Hawks to have a chance.

A game-time call for Game 2 due to right knee inflammation, Okongwu was able to play 30 minutes without any issues. And he held his own against New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns, grabbing as many rebounds while scoring three fewer points. For the Hawks to win this series, they’ll need Okongwu to hold serve more often than not against KAT, which he is certainly capable of doing. Game 3 is on Thursday in Atlanta.

Okongwu’s inflamed right knee will not keep him out of Monday’s game, with the Hawks needing a win to even the series at one game apiece. Mouhamed Gueye will remain in the backup center role, while Tony Bradley may pick up another DNP-CD.

Okongwu, who logged 37 minutes in Saturday’s series-opening defeat, is dealing with inflammation in his right knee. With Jock Landale (ankle) likely out for the series, the Hawks can ill afford to lose Okongwu. Mouhamed Gueye would see his minutes increase if Okongwu sits, and Tony Bradley may enter the rotation after being a DNP-CD in Game 1.

Okongwu, who sat out the Hawks’ regular-season finale with a finger injury, had no issues shooting the basketball in Saturday’s series opener. Shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, all that the Hawks’ center’s stat line lacked was a steal. The question for the Hawks in this series is whether they can get Okongwu more involved offensively, given how effective he was in Game 1. With Jock Landale (ankle) out for at least two more weeks, Double-O will need to be even better than he was on Saturday.

Okongwu will sit out Sunday’s regular-season finale, joining the Hawks’ other four starters on the sidelines. If Mouhamed Gueye can play, he would move into the starting center role. However, he’s questionable with a shoulder injury. Tony Bradley would be the next man up if Gueye sits.

Okongwu and Kuminga sitting out Sunday’s regular-season finale would free up rotation minutes for multiple players. That includes Zaccharie Risacher, whose playing time has decreased with Kuminga in the fold, Asa Newell and Mouhamed Gueye.

Since he was limited to eight points in a March 27 loss to the Celtics, Okongwu has reached double figures in each of his last five appearances. Against the Cavaliers, the Hawks’ starting center shot 70 percent from the field despite the challenging frontcourt matchup. However, Okongwu did not offer much on the glass or as a rim protector, something that would need to change if the Hawks and Cavaliers meet in the first round of the playoffs.

Okongwu did not shoot the ball as well as he’s capable of, but the Hawks center did record a complete stat line in Orlando. He’s recorded four defensive contributions in consecutive games, the first time since March 10-12 that Okongwu has accomplished that feat. Add in the rebounds and assists, and this was a good night for those rostering Okongwu, even if the shots weren’t falling.

Back in the Hawks’ lineup after a one-game absence, Okongwu finished Monday’s victory with his 16th double-double of the season and first since March 1. Also, before the win over the Celtics, he had not scored 20 points or more in a game since March 4 against the Bucks. With the decrease in scoring, Okongwu’s fantasy value has taken a hit. Monday was a step in the right direction going into Wednesday’s game against the Magic.

The Hawks will have their preferred starting five for Monday’s game, as Okongwu and Dyson Daniels (toe) are back after sitting out Saturday’s win over the Kings. Mouhamed Gueye and Jock Landale will head to the bench, limiting the fantasy value of both players.

Okongwu is out with a sprained left index finger, which he suffered during Friday’s loss to the Celtics. If Jock Landale (shoulder), who is questionable, can play, he’ll likely move into the starting lineup. If not, Christian Koloko may receive the nod after being inactive on Friday.