After stumbling to a 1-3 record, the Atlanta Hawks have garnered attention across the league for their concerning performances against teams that should be worse. The team simply can’t put one foot in front of the other right now, with each loss finding a new, humiliating way to defeat the Hawks. First it was transition defense, then injuries, and finally self-inflicted wounds.
Fortunately, the team was gifted the Brooklyn Nets in their early schedule. The Nets are one of the only teams in the league with a worse record than the Hawks, and they have nothing short of a depressing roster. Perhaps the most telling part of the Nets’ roster is that their fourth-best player, Terance Mann, was dumped off his $15.5 million salary by the Hawks this offseason. The Nets are starting a player who was seen as a waste of cap space in Atlanta.
While no game is guaranteed, there is no better opportunity for the Hawks to recalibrate than this one.
What can Atlanta show to signal that improvement is coming
The Hawks have had a few weaknesses that have brought the team crashing down from their preseason dreams. Their two most frequent issues have been rebounding and transition defense.
Atlanta needs to help Kristaps Porzingis out on the glass today, and it must be a team effort. Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, one of whom always shares the floor with KP, are both skilled rebounders with the all-around athletic talent to neutralize their center’s weakness on the glass. They must make a concerted effort to crash the glass on defense whenever possible.
While increased attention on rebounding from Johnson and Okongwu is likely enough to win against Brooklyn, the rest of the team must get in the habit of helping on the glass before being tested by other legitimate playoff teams in their early schedule. Zaccharie Risacher has the length and slippery movement to crash from the perimeter, while Dyson Daniel’s bulky frame allows him to “punch up” by holding his own in a box out against bigger players.
Transition defense is a simple fix: get back on defense. Sure, there are nuances to transition defense, but Atlanta’s fast break defense suffers from a numbers problem, not a tactical problem. Moreso, the Hawks have done an excellent job limiting turnovers. Instead, the team will miss a shot and be beaten down the floor by the opposition. This is unacceptable, as every Hawks player should end the offensive possession closer to the opposing basket than their matchup. They’re just getting outworked.
The Hawks have their best chance of the season to find a rhythm in Wednesday’s matchup against the Nets. Hopefully the team can dominate while making efforts to shore up their weaknesses.