The Atlanta Hawks point of attack defense is more than a Trae Young issue

The Atlanta Hawks (18-25) got an improbable win on Monday over the Milwaukee Bucks despite trailing by double-digits in the fourth quarter. They did so by tightening up on Giannis Antetokounmpo and getting six turnovers out of Khris Middleton. With their matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, they’ll need to extend that defense to the perimeter.

In addition to Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves boast a bevy of talented guards.

That could present an issue for the Hawks, who have struggled with dribble penetrations and to contain ball-handlers at the point of attack all season. It’s a weakness that has been exacerbated by the absence of Clint Capela over the last five games.

Trae Young’s defense an issue for the Atlanta Hawks but speaks to a bigger problem

Opponents are shooting a blistering 57.9 percent from 10 feet out and in against the Hawks this season, a number that is 60.0 percent since Capela went out with an ankle injury that will keep him out of Wednesday’s contest. We’ve talked at length about how much his defense changes the opponents’ plan of attack and how he benefits John Collins.

On Wednesday, Basketball Index tweeted a graphic that shows just why the Hawks need their man in the middle to be, well, in the middle of their defense. The graphic compares the top point of attack defenders in the NBA.

This is defined as “a guard who defends smaller ball handlers in pick-and-roll and in isolation on the perimeter with limited off-ball help responsibilities.”

Tucked away near the bottom corner, where poor impact and low-quality matchups meet, is Hawks superstar Trae Young. He’s having the best season of his career offensively but is barely in the way on the other end.

We have already gone into just how Young, at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, can be a more impactful defender given his physical limitations. But despite all of his warts on defense, Young’s offense offsets it, save for games when his deep threes aren’t falling but keep going up.

That Young is the only player even pictured speaks to a bigger issue for the Hawks.

At no point in time has their best player ever been considered a premier defender and often borders on brutal. To build a team without two-way players or defensive specialists to cover for him would be negligent.

To their credit, the Hawks have not done that on paper. De’Andre Hunter is their best point of attack defender but, after being out for nearly two months, he admitted his explosiveness hasn’t quite returned yet after just four games. We’ve already gone into just how much they missed him when he was out, also with the help of Basketball Index.

The most surprising absence might be Delon Wright. He’s taken the reigns as the backup point guard when the Hawks are healthy.

He was also brought in to be a defensive presence but has been better as a helper.

Further complicating things, wings Bogdan Bogdanovic (who has missed the last two games with knee soreness) and Kevin Huerter have been worse this season on the defensive end.

Is that enough though, even when they are all right?

It should be of some solace that Cam Reddish is not in the graphic. One of the common complaints following the trade has been moving one of the Hawks “best defensive players” when that hasn’t quite been the case this season.

The Hawks have played better the last three outings and it led to a win on Monday. Getting Capela back will help too as a deterrent.

If they don’t figure out how to sure up their point of attack defense, either by playing better or via trade, it won’t mean much in the end.