The Atlanta Hawks are down to a win-or-go-home situation after their 120-95 loss to the Orlando Magic in the first round of the Play-In Tournament, and a big reason why is that their bench let them down.
The trio of Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Terance Mann entered the contest averaging a combined 37.4 points per game.
They combined for 24 points against the Magic.
Niang led the way with 15 points, adding 3 rebounds to just 1 turnover. But the typically reliable sharpshooter was 5-for-11 overall and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc. A poor defender, Niang finished as a minus-20 on the night.
He averaged an 11.3/1.5/1.2 line while slashing .473/.457/.750 line over his last 13 appearances before facing the Magic.
LeVert was a game-worst minus-26, scoring 7 points on 27.3% shooting (0-for-2 3P).
He did add 6 boards, 3 assists, and 2 takeaways. But the Hawks needed his scoring on the evening, and it never came. The Hawks’ third-leading scorer among their rotation players since the trade deadline, LeVert has a 17.3/4.5/3.8 line over his final four regular season games.
Mann had but 2 points, which he had to get at the free throw line. He was 0-for-5 from the floor (0-for-1 3P) and had 1 assist and 1 steal with a minus-13 plus/minus.
Mann averaged 9.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 2.1 APG with the Hawks during the regular season.
Hawks reserves all come up short vs Magic in Play-In Tournament
The concerns from the Hawks’ performance in this game are manyfold, including their issues with size and physicality. A more future-focused outlook, though, brings questions about the veteran trio of LeVert, Mann, and Niang.
Mann and Niang are both under contract for 2025, but LeVert is set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Will the Hawks be willing to pay what it might take to retain LeVert?
He and Niang both arrived in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who also sent future first-round pick swap options to acquire De’Andre Hunter before the deadline. Notably, LeVert was the Cavs’ fifth-leading scorer (10.1 PPG) on the sixth-most minutes in the 2024 playoffs.
Niang was 11th in minutes, averaging 2.8 PPG, a footnote that explains why a Cavaliers team having a dominant season made such a bold trade.
Mann (9.3/5.0/1.8) was LA’s sixth-leading scorer on the fourth-most MPG in those playoffs.
The Hawks boasted the second-highest-scoring bench in the NBA after the All-Star break this past season. That group was outscored 55-30 in Orlando, a mark they cannot afford to repeat in Game 2 of the Play-In, regardless of their opponent.
Perhaps the signs were always there that this was looming, though. The trio has a minus-2.1 net rating during the regular season.