What happened: The argument around Atlanta's frontcourt centers on depth rather than its starting center. The case made is that Onyeka Okongwu was never the problem; the issue was the lack of comparable interior options to share the load across a full season. One reliable big cannot reasonably

Why it matters: Center workload is one of the harder things to sustain over a long campaign, and leaning on a single big risks both fatigue and exposure when foul trouble or injury hits. For a team weighing its offseason options after a 46-36 finish, depth at the position becomes a roster-building priority rather than a question about the player already in place.

What to watch: Watch how Atlanta rounds out its frontcourt rotation heading into the 2026-27 season, including whether it adds a second dependable big alongside Okongwu.