If the Atlanta Hawks are going to repeat or, more importantly, improve upon their success of last season, they are going to have to start giving more consistent effort on both ends of the floor. If their 122-94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers had a familiar feel to it, it is because they just gave up the same amount of points to the Washington Wizards two nights before.
It could have been easy to write off the loss to Washington as an improved team catching them off-guard on a bad night. But this one, again on the road, might be indicative of a larger problem at hand for Atlanta.
We can harp on the starters’ ineffectiveness — they shot 36.8 percent from the floor but were 36.3 percent from deep.
However, there are going to be nights when the starters get outworked and they need support.
The Atlanta Hawks have yet to put forth a complete game this season
The Hawks bench got outscored, but only 44-42. However, most of that is thanks to Cam Reddish’s 16 points on 50 percent shooting (40 percent from deep) as he continued his hot start and Skylar Mays’ seven points late in garbage time. The rest of the top reserves combined for just 19 points on just 5-of-18 shooting.
Atlanta’s bench is 10th in points per game but 27th in field goal percentage. With Kevin Huerter, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Williams accounting for over $28 million in cap hits, that shouldn’t be.
We’ve talked of Huerter needing to play better on the heels of his new deal and that is still true. But Gallinari accounts for $20 million of that and is still getting his legs under him. Same for Williams. When they do get going it will be a big boost. It just needs to happen soon.
Atlanta Hawks stud from demoralizing loss to 76ers: Clint Capela trusted his process
Not many Hawks can even say that had a good game. Clint Capela might be able to say he had a great one, all things considered. And graded on a curve. He had just 11 points for the second game in a row and wasn’t efficient in getting them, shooting 36.4 percent. But he had a double-double with 12 rebounds. Capela also went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
None of that is why he earns the nod for ‘stud’ of the game. It was his work on the less glamorous end.
Battling Joel Embiid is no easy task.
The big man is averaging 21.0 points, 8.7 boards, and 3.8 assists while shooting 43.0 percent from the floor and 34.8 percent from deep. When these teams met in the Eastern Conference Finals he averaged 30.4/12.7/3.9 on 46.9 percent shooting and 35.7 percent from outside.
In this matchup, he was held to just 19 points and five boards. He shot just 38.5 percent overall and was 1-for-4 on his attempts from long distance.
Great work by Clint Capela to force a pass then recover to Embiid for a shot block. pic.twitter.com/8D8RoxtopK
— Bally Sports: Hawks (@HawksOnBally) October 31, 2021
On the season, Capela is holding opponents 8.6 percent below their typical field goal rate when he guards them. That was before this game against Philadelphia and Embiid. Offense for him will come and go; often based on chances for the Hawks to get out and run.
Capela’s defense, however, is still something to be reckoned with.
He’s earning every bit of his two-year, $46 million extension so far. And we can’t fail to mention the free throws one last time!
Atlanta Hawks dud from demoralizing loss to 76ers: De’Andre Hunter was ineffective on both ends
De’Andre Hunter was riding high just a couple of games ago for his work in limiting New Orlean Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram in crunch time. But after struggling to contain Bradley Beal and not faring much better on Kyle Kuzma versus the Wizards, he let Tobias Harris go for 22 points on 69.2 percent shooting in his most efficient. Harris also canned 2-of-5 threes.
The overall field goal percentage was his highest of the season. He also had 11 boards and four assists making this arguably his best game of the season over his opening night 20-point, 12-rebound outing.
In that playoff series, Harris averaged 19.4/7.4/3.3 while slashing .475/.364/.842 over the five games with Hunter shelved.
Hunter’s offense had been a bit of a struggle to start the season as he averaged 11.5 points on 37.0 percent shooting and 27.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc over the first two games. After sitting out the win against the Detroit Pistons, he bounced back with the same points per game but on 47.4 percent overall and 75.0 percent three-point efficiency.
Go to work, Dre pic.twitter.com/Ft9qEgocMv
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2021
The issues popped back up against Philly.
He shot a tough 30 percent from the floor and was 0-for-2 from deep. There were a few too many moments like the one above when he found himself with 6-foot-2 Seth Curry guarding him and the 6-foot-8 Hunter settled for a jumper instead of attacking and it didn’t work.
Worse still, he grabbed just three boards, had no assist, and turned the ball over three times.
It’s a big season for Hunter. Travis Schlenk has said he would like to get an extension done with him as well as Reddish.
But he has to be much more consistent, at least on the defensive end, to earn that. There is a lot of season left and he has a better track record than what he’s shown of late. But, as with many of the underperforming parts of this team, they have to get it together.