Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela was limited to only seven minutes in Wednesday's preseason matchup against Miami, exiting the game with right ankle soreness. The Swiss big man tallied three points and three rebounds before his premature exit. Atlanta is already without Onyeka Okongwu (toe), making Capela's loss a bitter blow. However, his injury doesn't sound too bad, so he could still be ready for next week's season opener against Brooklyn. Capela has been a walking double-double throughout his NBA career and should continue in the same vein in 2024-25. After sitting out Wednesday's game, Cody Zeller (rest) could slide into the lineup as Capela's replacement on Thursday versus Oklahoma City.

Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu (toe) didn't feature in the team's preseason opener against Indiana on Tuesday. The energetic big man underwent a toe procedure in April and appears to be still recovering from it. The Hawks have their next preseason outing scheduled for Monday. Clint Capela will likely be set for a big workload at the start of the regular season if Okongwu isn't ready to play. The team has also added Larry Nance Jr. and Dominick Barlow to the frontcourt this offseason.

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is honing in on defense this season, with a bold goal in mind. "I have a big goal of trying to make the first-team All-Defense," Daniels stated during Hawks Media Day on Monday. Atlanta, which ranked 27th in defense last season, will welcome his focus. While the young guard has shown defensive potential, fantasy managers will hope he can boost his offensive production. He averaged 5.8 points in 22.3 minutes per game. His shooting struggles, including 31.1% from three-point range and 64.2% from the free-throw line, indicate that improving his offensive efficiency is essential for his development. At just 21 years of age, Daniels has time to refine his game and could be a sneaky draft pick with upside.

Atlanta Hawks forward/center Larry Nance Jr. believes he will have a great time playing under the guidance of Quin Snyder. "Quin is a basketball mastermind," Nance Jr. told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Lauren L. Williams. "I was a huge fan of his when he was at Utah, and obviously, these past few years in Atlanta. Now I'm excited to play for him, and we're gonna get along really well. Yeah, I consider myself a high-IQ basketball player, and he's very high IQ." Nance Jr.'s production has dipped in recent years, and he will attempt to produce a bounce-back campaign under a new coach on a different team. However, he needs to avoid health troubles to make it happen. The 31-year-old has never played more than 67 games in a single NBA campaign.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young's value isn't as high as the team would like. Young averaged 25.7 points and 10.8 assists last season. He also shot 37.3% from behind the arc. However, he was limited to only 54 games due to injury. There were rumblings Young was on the trade block last season. Instead, Atlanta traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason. With that said, it's a pivotal year for Young, considering his performance this season could dictate his future in Atlanta. For now, fantasy managers should continue to view him as a top-20 fantasy option, although drafting him heading into the season is riskier than ever.