The Atlanta Hawks lost their season opener in embarrassing fashion last night against the Toronto Raptors, with a final score of 138 to 118. This came as a shock to Hawks fans and analysts, as the Raptors are a much worse team on paper.
Atlanta had a few missed rotations and other mistakes that you would expect from a team that had a series of major roster moves over the offseason. What was unexpected was Toronto’s dominance in transition.
The Raptors won the official fast break battle 34 to 11. These 23 points were ultimately the difference in Wednesday night’s game, as the Hawks’ halfcourt offense could not compete with the advantage Toronto generated in fast breaks. With 9:23 left in the third quarter, when the game was still well within reach, the Raptors led in this category 17 to 2. If the Hawks had a half-respectable fast break margin, this game could have been a blowout in the opposite direction.
The Hawks’ fast break failure is unacceptable, but preventable
Atlanta’s transition problem came on both ends; they weren’t pushing the ball on offense and weren’t getting back on defense.
The Hawks have a team made to run in transition, yet they showed a reluctance to push the pace. Jalen Johnson is an absolute menace on the fastbreak, using his incredible combination of strength, finishing, ball handling, and passing to capitalize on the advantages created by the spaced-out floor. The team has energetic slashers and shooters to fill the court around Johnson, who dished out an impressive 8 assists, many of which came in transition.
Toronto turned the ball over more than Atlanta, finishing with turnover totals of 19 and 16, respectively. The Raptors even conceded 23 points of turnovers, one more than the Hawks' 22. This shows that the transition performance was not due to a lack of ball security, but a lack of a conscious effort to run the floor.
The transition stats do not include Atlanta’s early offense on an inbound, an area where the team thrived. Still, this should not be an acceptable replacement for fast break opportunities, but rather a supplement to halfcourt possessions. This will surely be a point of emphasis for the team heading into their second game.
The Hawks’ transition defense was even worse. Perhaps the most embarrassing moment of all was when Raptors’ big man Jakob Poeltl led a fast break that ended in an alley oop. With all due respect to Poeltl, this is flat-out unacceptable. Toronto moved the ball downcourt at will with minimal resistance at any point.
Like the Hawks' fast break offense, this gaffe is easily prevented with intensity and emphasis on getting back. Still, this is a rough note for the Hawks to start their season; a season where fans entered with the highest hopes in nearly a decade.