Atlanta Hawks: Month-By-Month Review of 2018-19 Season
By Dallin Duffy
December
Record: 6-7
Best Win: @ Minnesota
Worst Loss: @ Brooklyn
December, also known as the month where the tank found its breaks. Not only did the Hawks win 6, including a stretch of 5 of 6 around Christmas, they did it over some high-profile teams.
They knocked off 5 teams that made the playoffs either this year or the previous, including an 18-point shelling of the West-leading Nuggets and a thrilling OT win in Minny.
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Their losses also were less concerning, with the team being competitive in a handful of the 7 losses up until the final quarter.
As mentioned, they went on probably their best run of the year from December 18th to the 29th, when they went 5-1, pulling their overall record to a much more respectable 11-24.
The defense was slightly improved, although still around the league worst in that front, but it’s also when the offense started to really click. Their 113 points per contest ranked 11th in the league, ahead of playoff teams like the 76ers and Bucks.
John Collins had his breakout month, averaging a double double with 21 and 13. While this would be the start of a trend of JC averaging 20 and 10, looking back, December was arguably his best stretch on the season.
Fans were starting to get really excited with the young core at this point, and hoped they could carry their recent success into the new year.