Atlanta Hawks: 3 Takeaways to Competitive Loss to Celtics
By Dallin Duffy
First Quarter Defense Woes
The Hawks haven’t been great defensively all year, but they definitely struggle the most in the 1st period.
No team gives up more on average, with the Hawks’ 31.1 average points allowed in the first ranking dead last among the NBA. And even though they rank 9th best for points scored in the first, they are only setting themselves up to be down early, every game.
The Celtics put up 43 in the first quarter, nearly matching their season high of 45, which not-surprisingly, they set back in November against the Hawks. The C’s scored just 24 in the 4th and final quarter, quite the contrast.
Whether this is a coaching thing, a player thing, or a mix of both, The Hawks need to figure out their lack of first quarter D, especially if they want to fight for a playoff spot next season.
Neither of Atlanta’s two young stars (Trae, JC) are naturally skilled defenders, but as we often see around the league, players can improve. These two have shown flashes of lock-down capabilities in crunch time, and just need to apply that to earlier in the game as well.