The real reason Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu replaced Clint Capela in stating lineup
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The Atlanta Hawks have made a change in their starting lineup over the past few games, starting Onyeka Okongwu over Clint Capela at center. Okongwu has earned the position after his recent performances coming off the bench, and head coach Quin Snyder spoke about his reason for why he made the change.
"I think over the course of the season, it's always good to have an opportunity to look at different combinations and rotations to have that flexibility over the course of time,” Snyder said. “He's been playing really well, not just in a role to start, but he's worked hard to get healthy. He was banged up earlier in the year and we felt like it was a good opportunity for him."
Okongwu recorded three consecutive double-doubles off the bench. and he was the first Hawk player to achieve the feat since Moses Malone in 1991, according to NBA stats.
In his starts in the past two games, Okongwu has been productive and has given the Hawks some versatility on both sides of the ball. In their game against the New York Knicks, Okongwu finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and against the Detroit Pistons, he had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Those games did not end in wins for the Hawks, but as Okongwu gets more comfortable in his new role, the wins will come.
Onyeka Okongwu making a difference for the Hawks
Before being inserted into the starting lineup, Onyeka Okongwu was dominating coming off the bench. In their win against the Boston Celtics, Okongwu finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds. He finished with 22 points and 21 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns, and with that stat line, he became the first Hawks bench player to record at least 20 points and 20 boards in a single game. Okongwu spoke about his performance after that game and what led to his strong play.
"I was just being aggressive," Okongwu said. "We were down some guys so my team needed me to be more aggressive out there and I was able to do enough to help the team win."
"He's strong, so he's got space," Quin Snyder said. "When he doesn't have an angle, he has a great touch. He shoots a little floater and it's hard to stop. He shoots it quickly, he's confident in that shot, and we're confident in him taking it. The other thing is that he's got great hands. He comes up with a lot of tip-ins. Maybe he can't secure the rebound, but he's able to tip it in."
With Okongwu now in the starting lineup, the big question now is what will happen to Clint Capela. He’s been in trade rumors since the start of the season, and teams are now monitoring him on the market, according to Michael Scotto.
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