The Atlanta Hawks made their bed, and now they are lying in it.
Their decision to switch to Onyeka Okongwu from Clint Capela as the starting center had significant underlying risks baked in, even with the youngster’s promise and the veteran’s diminishing skill set.
In the wake of that deal, one other decision in particular has left them fighting against their own momentum with a 121-105 loss to the New York Knicks as proof.
Okongwu had long been the expected successor for Capela.
With that, the Hawks had to know they would suffer some dropoff on the defensive end for a group that had already been challenged on that end. Capela is not a rim protector by any means, but he remains a better option than Okongwu in that regard.
Okongwu had the fourth-best on-off differential on the team entering Saturday, scoring more than he allows per 100 possessions, per Cleaning The Glass.
But the Hawks have made the situation more difficult on themselves than they needed to.
The Hawks went from ranking 23rd and allowing 49.3 PPG in the paint to 27th at 52.8 paint points per game with the switch to Okongwu. They have been better than that post-trade deadline, but that is where the Hawks’ activity did as much harm as good on a micro level.
Hawks dealing with consequences of De'Andre Hunter trade
The Hawks were 13-12 following the deadline, entering their tilt against the New York Knicks on April 5.
They went from allowing 37.7% with Capela as the starter to 36.9% with Okongwu.
However, the Hawks have allowed opponents to can 38% of their deep looks before allowing the Knicks to connect on 66.7% through three quarters on Saturday. For all they bring to the table, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang are not strong defenders.
Neither starts but are fourth and sixth in minutes since the trade. For a Hawks team built around Trae Young, adding poor defenders goes against what the Hawks did with their starting lineup.
They miss Jalen Johnson more as every game passes by.
But the Hawks added Dyson Daniels, drafted Zaccharie Risacher, and acquired Larry Nance Jr. since last offseason only to undercut their efforts by trading De’Andre Hunter – their best perimeter defender, especially for wings – for two reserves who can score but also allow plenty.
Both players boast negative career net ratings, are older, and smaller than Hunter, who the Hawks traded in Year 2 of a four-year, $90 million deal to avoid the luxury tax.
These are slight changes statistically.
They are proving monumental for a Hawks team that was already living and dying by the margins before losing a key starter in Johnson, shaking up their roster at the deadline, and enduring a slew of other injuries.
The Hawks must bounce back against a Utah Jazz team that has the worst record in the league while they themselves are 9-20 against the Western Conference and 1-5 in their last six games.