For years, Onyeka Okongwu’s story in the NBA was one of patience. Drafted sixth overall in 2020, the 25-year-old big man spent much of his early career as an energy guy off the bench, a defensive specialist waiting for his moment as the Atlanta Hawks sorted out their crowded frontcourt.
Now, in the 2025–26 season, that waiting period has turned into something far more imposing—a player who is no longer just filling a role, but redefining it.
The most striking leap in Okongwu’s game has come from the outside. Once a non-factor beyond the arc, he has evolved into a legitimate stretch-five, and not just in flashes. He is putting up a career-high 16.1 points per game while shooting an eye-opening 41.3% from three on nearly five attempts a night. That is not situational shooting—that is volume with confidence.
His breakout showing on November 13, 2025, when he dropped 32 points and knocked down eight threes against the Jazz, made it clear that this was not a hot streak. Defenses now have to account for him in ways they simply did not before, dragging opposing centers out of their comfort zones and opening up the floor for Atlanta.
What makes Okongwu even more valuable is that the scoring surge has not come at the expense of everything else. He remains the connective tissue of the Hawks’ rotation, doing a bit of everything on both ends. He is pulling down 7.8 rebounds per game, dishing out 3.3 assists, and anchoring the defense with 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest.
Whether it is piling up stocks in a defensive clinic or facilitating as a secondary playmaker, Okongwu is impacting the game in multiple layers.
At this point, the “backup” label no longer applies. As Atlanta pushes for playoff positioning, Okongwu has firmly stepped into a larger role, not as a future piece, but as a present-day force.
