The Atlanta Hawks have been off to an okay start to the campaign, but a loss to the (previously) 0-4 Miami Heat isn’t ideal. In fact, the Hawks didn’t just lose to the Heat. They gave up 129 points in regulation. To a team that isn’t exactly built to be an offensive juggernaut, especially not outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. For a Hawks team that should hang its hat on defense, that’s just not good enough. And it’s been happening all year.
This marked the third loss in a row for the Hawks. After starting the season 2-0, they have now fallen all the way to 2-3. Obviously, it’s still very early in the season. Anything can happen. But in four of their five games this season, the Hawks have given up 120 points. That’s just not an acceptable reality. It cannot continue.
If the Hawks keep letting teams run up the score on them, they are going to be in for a long, long season.
The Hawks' defense hasn't been good enough
Atlanta has definitely played some tough teams this season. They have played the Houston Rockets twice, who have good scorers, and the Orlando Magic were fully healthy on Opening Night.
But the Hawks are a team that should have playoff hopes this year. They should want to capitalize on the success they had last season, thriving in the immediate aftermath of the Trae Young era.
Jalen Johnson is leading the show, and Atlanta has a defense-oriented cast. The Hawks have plus defenders at every position. That’s where they should be thriving. Dyson Daniels. Okyeka Okongwu. Lu Dort.
In no world should they be giving up 120 points in four of their first five games. That is an awful standard to be setting, and one that will see them catapulted from the playoff race very quickly if they don’t fix it.
Miami shouldn’t be that big of a threat on the offensive end. Through the Heat’s first five games, they have an offensive rating of just 108.4. That ranks 22nd in the NBA.
Yet the Hawks still let them rain down bucket after bucket. The Heat hadn’t scored more than 111 points in a game all year, and in their first four games, they only cracked 110 once.
This should be a tipping point for the Hawks. A sign that they need to look at themselves in the mirror and really figure out how to be a better team on the defensive side of the ball.
Ironically, that’s the side they should feel better about. They should be leaning on their defense, not trying to win in spite of it.
Atlanta just hasn’t been good enough on defense this season.
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