Following the Atlanta Hawks 113-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, much of the conversation has revolved around how they finished. They shot 27 percent from the floor in scoring 14 points while the Nets scored 24 points on 34.8 percent shooting.
Both teams were cold from deep, shooting a combined 1-of-16 from beyond the arc in the fourth.
It was a mixed bag for the Hawks all around, as they won the three-point, rebounding, and second-chance points battles but were less efficient shooting the ball overall and were outscored in the paint 66-50.
There’s also the matter of five second-half turnovers from Trae Young, which he took responsibility for after the game.
The Atlanta Hawks are dealing with a familiar problem in close games
During the offseason, we took a look at how the Hawks performed in clutch situations, defined as the final five minutes of a game in which the score is within five points. Atlanta’s performance last year was mediocre at best, ranking 19th in clutch scoring. They were also heavily reliant on Trae Young making something happen.
Young was the only Hawks player to crack the top-30 in clutch scoring ranking 27th with Bogdan Bogdanovic, who is out dealing with a sprained ankle, checked in at 86th.
This season, the Hawks rank 29th in clutch scoring as defenses are keying on Young, a task made easier without Bogdanovic. He is also shooting a miserable 28 percent from the floor while being 12th in attempts in the clutch.
Atlanta ranks 30th, shooting 30.4 percent overall and 11.1 percent from beyond the arc. They also rank 20th, knocking down just 76.9 percent of their clutch free throws.
Young is averaging 2.6 points per, however, again placing him in the top-30.
Bogdanovic is still second despite missing the last handful of games. He comes in at 106th, though he is actually tied with a large group of players.
Kevin Huerter is next but he is seeing fewer than one attempt in those situations even in the last 13 games, all of which Huerter started. At this point, Huerter is tied with John Collins in clutch shot attempts since the former’s one-game absence. Both players are behind Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot who is averaging 1.0 attempts in clutch games.
Collins and Huerter definitely need more looks in tight games as both are shooting 50 percent. But Clint Capela is shooting 75 percent on his limited clutch looks.
Whether it’s Young or Nate McMillan, someone needs to make sure the other guys are staying involved in the clutch. They need it at least while Bogdanovic, who averaged 1.5 attempts in clutch games, is on the shelf.