Studs and duds after the Atlanta Hawks fourth-straight road win

Atlanta Hawks dud after fourth-straight road win: The loss of Solomon Hill hurts beyond the stat sheet

There wasn’t much to nitpick in this one as the Hawks took control early and never looked back. We can complain that they got outscored in the paint 42-20, in second-chance points 17-10, and transition 19-14. Or that they got slightly outrebounded 50-49 and had 10 turnovers. But, none of that matters in retrospect, and not just because of the win.

The Hawks lost Solomon Hill after he suffered a severe hamstring tear and is “looking at a long process”.

Per Hawks GM Travis Schlenk via Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game, Hill tore the muscle off of the bone.

Hill boasts the best net on-off rating on the team. But with just 0,6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game on just over 10 minutes in 13 appearances including one start, no one will say his on-court loss will be significant.

That says nothing of his presence as a veteran leader.

We’ll probably never hear the best words of wisdom or encouragement that he has or will ever offer on the bench. But look no further than an exchange following one of the Hawks playoff games versus the New York Knicks. New York’s Nerlens Noel gives Young a shoulder check as they pass each other. Solo sees this and returns the favor in kind.

It was a slight moment but it spoke volumes about the type of teammate Hill is.

We’ll have to wait and see what the outcome of this injury is for the nine-year veteran. But he won’t be as easily replaced as some for however long he is out simply by employing the “next man up” mentality.