The real reason Hawks’ Onieka Okongwu replaced Clint Capela in the lineup

The Atlanta Hawks have changed their starting lineup in the last few games, starting with Onyeka Okongwu through Clint Capel at center. Okongwu has earned the position after his recent performances from the bench, and head coach Quinn Snyder talked about his reason for making the change.

“I think during the season it’s always good to have an opportunity to look at different combinations and rotations to have that flexibility over time,” Snyder said. “He’s playing really well, not just in his starting role, but he’s been working hard to get healthy. He was broken earlier this year and we felt it was a good opportunity for him.”

Okongwu recorded three consecutive double-doubles from the bench. and was the first Hawk player to accomplish the feat since Moses Malone in 1991, according to NBA Stats.

In his starts over 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 with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Those games didn’t end in wins for the Hawks, but as Okongwu gets more comfortable in his new role, the wins will come.

Onieka Okongwu makes the difference for the Hawks

Before being inserted into the starting line-up, Onieka Okongwu dominated from the bench. In the 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, becoming the first Hawks bench player to record at least 20 points and 20 rebounds 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 short some guys, so my team needed me to be more aggressive and I was able to do enough to help the team win.”

“He’s strong, so he’s got room,” Quinn Snyder said. “When he doesn’t have an angle, he has a great touch. It shoots a little buoy and is hard to stop. He shoots fast, he’s sure of that shot, and we’re sure he’ll make it. Another thing is that he has great hands. He has a lot of advice. He may not be able to get the rebound, but he is able to put it in.”

With Okongwu now in the starting lineup, the big question is what will happen to Clint Capell. He’s been rumored since the start of the season, and teams are now follow him on the marketaccording to Michael Scott.