The Atlanta Hawks Still Don’t Make Any Sense
Atlanta continues to not make sense. A recent 6-game win streak has kept their playoff ambitions alive. Here’s what they’ve been up to.
January 15th, 2022, was the epitome of the Hawks season. Trae Young’s 29 points were the only good thing about the offense. The on-ball defense allowed a porous Knicks offense to score 117 points on 51% shooting.
Their bitter rivals bested them again, giving the Hawks an ugly 17-25 record. Past the midway point of the season, things were getting ugly. From the struggles of the on-ball defense to poor role player production, the Hawks were dead. I predicted them to be third in the East this season. Two weeks ago, the playoffs seemed like a long shot.
But, in the year of our lord 2022, anything is possible. In the span of a few short weeks, the Hawks have turned their season around. The offense continues to cruise, but the whole team is coming together. The defense has shown improvement. The bench has returned to being a productive unit.
On the verge of entering the play-in discussion, let’s talk about the team that causes me the most headaches.
Continued Offensive Excellence
The Hawks have experienced their ups and downs this season. The one thing that has remained constant has been the scoring. Sure, their depth may have failed them on defense, but on offense? With enough weapons to take over Ukraine, the Hawks have never had a problem scoring the ball.
(Whoa. I’m getting political)
With that being said, this offense is still fun to watch.
No Cam Reddish = Good?
Cam Reddish was traded to the Knicks on January 13th. Since then, the bench unit has come to life. Reddish’s zero-conscious attitude was a poor fit for the bench. Since he’s left, the bench unit’s production has skyrocketed.
| Atlanta’s Bench With Reddish (40 games) | Atlanta’s Bench Without Reddish (8 games) |
| 32.3 PPG (22nd) | 41.6 PPG (6th) |
| 40.6% FG (25th) | 52.2% FG (1st) |
| -1.3 plus/minus (23rd) | 4.9 plus/minus (2nd) |
Gallinari and Lou Williams have had an uptick in production. Bogdan Bogdanovic has moved to the bench, then had two of the best games this season in succession. He might have found a new home off the bench.
The Hawks went from having one of the worst benches in the league to one of the best. With Cam Reddish gone, there is less dribbling. Fewer poor shots. The bench has been key to the Hawks’ recent success.
Running The Floor
After watching the Hawks’ last few games, they’ve been running the floor more than usual. Now, thanks to nba.com, I have no way of telling if they’ve been doing this more or less than usual. I just have to trust my eyes. I know this isn’t very statistical, but I think this is something they’ve been doing more.
A little chaotic, but it works.
I know Bogdanovic missed this shot, but this is a great look.
Atlanta’s Offense Over The Past 8 Games (6-2 record)
116.6 points (4th)
49.2% FG (2nd)
39.0% 3-PT (2nd)
119.3 ORtg (2nd)
19.6 PTS off TO (1st)
8.4 FB PTS (maybe my eye test was slightly off)
The Hawks’ offense continues to be excellent. I didn’t even mention the superb seasons of Collins + Trae Young in this segment, so there ya go. Both those guys have been rock-solid this season, with Trae becoming an All-Star once again.
Scoring has never been a problem for this team. Stopping opponents from doing the same has been the concern, until now.
Here Comes The Defense
Defense has been an issue for the Hawks all season. After their game six loss to the Bucks in the Conference Finals last season, I said this;
They’re going to need a few things to reach the summit. Namely, perimeter defense. They can’t win with Young, Huerter, and Bogdanovic on the perimeter. Those guys aren’t good enough. They need better options.
Me – six months ago.
The Hawks didn’t improve on the perimeter during the offseason, which in hindsight, was an issue. Their defense was horrendous to start the year. Clint Capela was being asked to do too much. Too many drivers were entering the lane with zero resistance. Even Capela, one of the best interior defenders in the NBA, couldn’t slow down the flood.
Their recent success has also included some improved defense. Last night, they shut down two of the best wing scorers in the NBA. That game against Boston might have been one of their best defensive games of the season. Here’s what I noticed from that game;
Creating Chaos
The Hawks force just 12.2 turnovers per game for the season, which ranks 28th in the NBA. They’ve been forcing 14.3 turnovers over the last eight games, a big reason for their success.
Kevin Huerter isn’t a good defender, but his active hands force a live-ball turnover.
Trae Young, another sub-par defender, does a great job digging down on Brown to force the turnover.
The Celtics had 16 turnovers last night, leading to 24 points. Boston scored just 15 points in the final frame, including just eight points in the final nine minutes.
Even their sub-par defenders have been chipping in, putting forth better effort, leading to better results. Do the Hawks still need perimeter defense? Yes. But these last few games have shown the problem isn’t as severe when their guards somewhat try.
Pick-and-Roll Defense
Versatile frontcourt members are the strength of the Hawks. With Capela, Collins, Okungwu, and even seldom-used rookie Jalen Johnson, this frontcourt oozes versatility. Like we’ve talked about, the on-ball defense has been less than ideal.
But, as we’ve seen, it’s been better in recent games. Paired with this elite frontcourt? Don’t look now, but here comes the defense.
The Hawks’ winning streak started when Okungwu became the starter in place of Capela, who was dealing with an ankle injury. The lottery pick from 2020 was marvelous on both ends and I have been dying to talk about him.
Here, he plays perfect defense and gets the block on Tatum.
I love Clint Capela.
The Hawks again stay at home on the pick-and-roll. Clint Capela takes away the Timelord lob perfectly. You’re ok with leaving Horford open (29% 3-PT), and Collins still gets a good contest on the shot. Great defense.
It’s Table Time
You know how much I love my tables. Just look at how much the defense has improved over the past few games;
| Atlanta’s “Defense” Through 40 Games | Atlanta’s Defense Over The Last 8 Games |
| 113.1 Defensive Rating (28th) | 111.5 Defensive Rating (14th) |
| 46.8% Opp FG (25th) | 44.3% Opp FG (6th) |
| 35.7% Opp 3-PT (20th) | 33.0% Opp 3-PT (6th) |
| 47.8 Opp PITP (21st) | 44.5 Opp PITP (11th) |
| 17-23 Record | 6-2 Record |
Defense wins championships. Or the 10th seed. Whatever works.
Do The Hawks Need To Be Active At The Deadline?
When the Hawks traded away Cam Reddish, it was clear they wanted to make more moves. At the time, they were lost, and making a move was the only way to save a lost season. These last eight games have proved there is still life for this team.
That’s not to say I think the Hawks are perfect. They desperately need some perimeter defense. Trying to make a big move is stupid. The Hawks don’t need Jerami Grant. They absolutely shouldn’t trade John Collins.
I have been a big fan of Hawks GM Travis Schlenk. He’s done a fantastic job with this team. I’m sure he’s been disappointed with how this season has gone. I know I am. But, this team still has life. They have the 23rd hardest schedule remaining in the NBA. A late-season push to the playoffs, similar to the one they experienced last year, is within reach.
Trae Young
Kevin Huerter
De’Andre Hunter
John Collins
Clint Capela
Lou Williams
Danilo Gallinari
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Delon Wright
Onyeka Okungwu
Trading Cam Reddish was a wake-up call for this team, one that they desperately needed. I think that trying to acquire someone like Bruce Brown, Eric Bledsoe, or Josh Richardson would greatly help their need for perimeter defense.
Overview
The Hawks have taken me on a roller-coaster of emotions this season. I am still a firm believer that they are one of the best teams in the East. With a soft second-half schedule and a healthy roster, this could be the time for a surge.
All the Hawks needed was some confidence. Now that they’ve got some, let’s see if they can salvage this season and my sanity.
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