Atlanta Hawks: 5 Takeaways from 124-123 Win vs. Hornets

Kent Bazemore the Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Kent Bazemore the Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Ball Movement = Easy Buckets

The Atlanta Hawks are always at their best when the team is moving the ball around the court fluidly and finding the open man wherever they are on offense. Those were the hallmarks of Coach Bud’s offensive system, and it still holds as an effective means of generating open looks even with Bud now cruising with the Milwaukee Bucks.

In recent games, the Hawks’ offense has bogged down and the team has settled for lazy deep jumpers or pull-up long twos, which is not the means to create efficient offense. On this night, the ball was zipping all over the court, and the Atlanta Hawks finished with 34 assists on 50 made baskets.

Each player on the Hawks logged at least one assist except for Taurean Prince, who chipped in with 16 points and some sterling defense on the Hornets’ bevy of like-sized wings and guards.

As long as these young Hawks are devoted to finding the open man, good things happen, such as on this wacky sequence in the 4th: