Hawks Hit the Shuffle Button Again, Hand the Keys to Kingston Flemings

The Atlanta Hawks are officially handing the keys to Kingston Flemings again, which means it is time to throw your offensive projections into a woodchipper.

According to Underdog NBA, Atlanta is rolling out a starting five of Flemings, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu for Monday's matchup.

"Lineup alert: Hawks will start Flemings, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Johnson, Okongwu on Monday. (@UnderdogNBA)"

Usually, this team runs CJ McCollum at the point to steer an offensive buzzsaw that posted 123.1 points per 100 possessions last season. Swapping a veteran bucket-getter for Flemings is the kind of sudden rotation roulette that makes you wonder if the coaching staff is just drawing names out of a hat.

Then again, when your defense is optional, you have to try something. The Hawks recently gave up 139 points in a regulation loss to the Washington Wizards. When you bleed points like that to Washington, you are legally required to change the locks on the building.

Alexander-Walker remains the reliable workhorse here, starting all 11 games this season while logging 30.8 minutes a night. But asking Flemings to step in and orchestrate a lineup that relies on Johnson's athleticism and Okongwu's rim-running is a massive swing.

For anyone staring at the betting board, this throws a giant wrench into the math. Atlanta has been treating every game like a track meet, but handing the offense to a new floor general makes their scoring floor a total mystery.

We will find out exactly what this experiment looks like when the Los Angeles Lakers come to town on Monday night. If Flemings clicks, the Hawks might just keep the chaos rolling. If not, expect a very quick hook.