It was already difficult for some of the best guards in the league to come into State Farm Arena and have a dominant night against the Hawks.
Naturally, though, even the best defensive players on the planet aren't perfect.
Take the Knicks series, for example. Atlanta pushed New York to their toughest postseason challenge, despite still losing in six games. A big reason for them being able to take a 2-1 series lead was because Jalen Brunson - the eventual Finals MVP - was mighty uncomfortable.
Dyson Daniels - one of the most disruptive perimeter defenders in the entire NBA - has gained a reputation for being one of the better Brunson-stoppers, as well.
He can't do it alone, though, and now he no longer has to
Alone might be a stretch. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a spectacular defender. The issue, however, is that his best abilities on that end aren't suited to routinely put a stop to a player as shifty as Brunson, a direct contrast to Daniels' strengths.
Picking up Lu Dort - another DPOY-caliber guard - will probably be the most impactful move the Hawks have made since acquiring Daniels from New Orleans a few years back. Yes, even more than trading away franchise star Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in exchange for their current lead guard.
It's a full identity shift. Their nightly philosophy is going to look drastically different. They can fully lean into their defense to create quick offense. The Hawks' biggest advantage is their ability to run. It's what allowed them to dominate the rest of last regular season after the All-Star break.
Effective transition offense comes as a direct result of creating turnovers. With Daniels, Alexander-Walker and now Dort hounding the opposing team's best player - likely a guard - those turnovers won't come in small quantity.
It's not just their guard room that can take strides defensively
Adding more weapons into the mix almost always means there's less pressure on both ends of the floor for the players with the largest responsibility.
Jalen Johnson should be able to find himself again on the defensive end after losing a step last season. It's no knock on Johnson - who was quickly forced into the role of Atlanta's primary offensive engine following the departure of Trae Young - but it's true.
Before last season, Johnson gained a reputation for being a quality defender, as well as a complementary offensive option. Now that he's certainly more than the latter, and that Atlanta's given him some defensive reinforcements, he can go back to the basics.
Adding Lu Dort is going to pay dividends for the Atlanta Hawks, who now have a legitimate case to be the best defensive team in the world.
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