Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Hawks have gotten off to a hot start going 4-2 through the first six games. Let’s take a look at what we’ve learned thus far.
The Atlanta Hawks are 4-2 though the first five games of the season and are off to their best start in nearly a decade when they had an identical record through the first six games of the 2011-12 season. Even after blowing a 15-point lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hawks have been firing on all cylinders, and keep in mind; the team is nowhere close to full strength.
Through six games, Hawks are top-five in the league in points per game (120), free throw attempts per game (27.8), free throw made per game (22.7), free throw percentage (81.4 percent), 3-pointers per game (15.3), 3-point percentage (40 percent), and rebounds per game (49.2). To top it off, their bench is ninth in the league averaging 39 points per game.
The Hawks currently have the worst defensive rating (109.4) of any team above .500 other than the LA Clippers (111.4) and the Boston Celtics (112). The good news is, the Hawks also own the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (116.7), behind only the Milwaukee Bucks (118.9) and the fifth-best net rating in the league (7.3).
To help put things into context, the Dallas Mavericks posted the highest offensive rating of all-time (115.9) last season, which topped the previous all-time high set by the Golden State Warriors high octane offense the year prior (115). At this current rate, either the Bucks or the Hawks are on pace to set a new offensive rating benchmark for the third consecutive season.
Led by Trae Young‘s shooting and playmaking, the Hawks have become one of the most exciting teams and hottest stories in all of the NBA, and their playoff goals are looking as realistic and attainable as ever.
After losing a close battle against the Brooklyn Nets and then eventually blowing them out by 18 points just two nights later, the Hawks have emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the eastern conference. Coming off a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game they should’ve easily won by double digits, the Atlanta Hawks will look to bounce back and keep the hot start going with a win over the New York Knicks. If the way they adjusted and came out in the second game against the Nets is any indicator, the Hawks should be just fine.
It is a tiny sample size of just six games, and it hasn’t all been pretty, but there’s a lot to be excited about so far and moving forward for the franchise. Here are my key takeaways and things to pay attention to as the season progresses without further ado.
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<p>The Hawks currently have the worst defensive rating (109.4) of any team above .500 other than the LA Clippers (111.4) and the Boston Celtics (112). The good news is, the Hawks also own the second-best offensive rating in the NBA (116.7), behind only the Milwaukee Bucks (118.9) and the fifth-best net rating in the league (7.3).</p>
<p>To help put things into context, the Dallas Mavericks posted the highest offensive rating of all-time (115.9) last season, which topped the previous all-time high set by the Golden State Warriors high octane offense the year prior (115). At this current rate, either the Bucks or the Hawks are on pace to set a new offensive rating benchmark for the third consecutive season.</p>
<p>Led by <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/y/youngtr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Trae Young</a>‘s shooting and playmaking, the Hawks have become one of the most exciting teams and hottest stories in all of the NBA, and their playoff goals are looking as realistic and attainable as ever.</p>
<p>After losing a close battle against the Brooklyn Nets and then eventually blowing them out by 18 points just two nights later, the Hawks have emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the eastern conference. Coming off a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a game they should’ve easily won by double digits, the Atlanta Hawks will look to bounce back and keep the hot start going with a win over the New York Knicks. If the way they adjusted and came out in the second game against the Nets is any indicator, the Hawks should be just fine.</p>
<p>It is a tiny sample size of just six games, and it hasn’t all been pretty, but there’s a lot to be excited about so far and moving forward for the franchise. Here are my key takeaways and things to pay attention to as the season progresses without further ado.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-419793" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2353,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1293534139.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2353" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293534139.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293534139-768x565.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px" /><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Trae Young is playing like a man possessed.</h2>
<p>After struggling to find his shot and adjust to playing with his new teammates during the preseason, Trae Young has taken his game to another level. Adding shooters around him has worked out as well as anyone could have hoped for. The addition of competent shooters combined with Hunter and Reddish’s continued development has opened up the floor for the crafty scorer and playmaker, making him more dangerous than ever before.</p>
<p>Young is shooting a career-high 11.7 free throws per game and has connected on 88.6 percent of his attempts, which is also a career-high for the third-year guard. He’s second only to James Harden in attempts per game and leads the league in total free throws made (62) and attempted (70). Young is getting to the line at such an astounding rate because he has mastered the art of drawing fouls.</p>
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<p>Over the years, we’ve seen players like Dwyane Wade and Paul Pierce master the art of drawing fouls by pump-faking and jumping into the defender, or the likes of Kevin Durant and James Harden punishing overly-aggressive defenders; with a “rip-through.”</p>
<p>Young has mastered the art of stopping short and forcing the defender to ream into him, similar to when a car gets rear-ended for stopping short in traffic. When Young goes around a screen, if his defender chases him over the top of the pick, Young changes pace, uses hesitation moves to get the defender directly behind him, then abruptly stops and feels for contact. As the defender runs into Young from behind, he braces for contact and heaves up a shot just before the referee blows the whistle.</p>
<p>The same way his penchant for nutmegs has aggravated opponents, his constant use of this move has frustrated opponents and coaches alike to the point where Nets head coach Steve Nash complained to one of the referees during the game, proclaiming, “That’s not basketball.”</p>
<p>Yes, he will continue to agitate players, coaches, opposing fans, and even the media as he continues to “hunt” fouls, but this is no different from what the aforementioned players have done.</p>
<h2>Author’s Note:</h2>
<p>It is very hypocritical to praise James Harden for getting to the line so much yet criticize Trae for doing the same thing. When in reality, Harden initiates contact more than he creates it, Young is actually creating contact, not initiating, and doesn’t need to flop to sell it like the Beard. Get over it.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-419791" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2199,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1293828407.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2199" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293828407.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293828407-768x528.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px" /><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The defense has been good but still a work in progress</h2>
<p>Last season, the Atlanta Hawks allowed opponents to make nearly half of their shots (47.8 FG percentage), good for 26th in the league, and ranked 22nd against 3-pointers after allowing the opposition to knock them down at a 36.3 percent clip.</p>
<p>This season, the Hawks are seventh in the league, holding opponents to 43.8 percent shooting from the field, and rank second in defending the three-ball, holding the opposition to 29.6 percent shooting from downtown.</p>
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<p>While these are things to be happy about, you must take it with a grain of salt as they are still struggling with interior defense, allowing 50 points in the paint per game, the eighth-most in the entire NBA.</p>
<p>To make matters worse, the Hawks are allowing more points in the paint since <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/capelca01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Clint Capela</a> has returned from injury. He missed the first two games of the season, and the Hawks allowed just 44 points in the paint per game during that span. In the four games since his return to the lineup, opponents are averaging a whopping 53 points in the paint against Atlanta, fourth-worst in the league.</p>
<p>Capela was brought in via trade last season to man the paint for the Hawks but never got to play for the team until this past preseason. He missed the first two games of the season with a sore Achilles after claiming to be 100 percent healthy all offseason.</p>
<p>Since his return, it’s fairly obvious he isn’t moving as well as he has in the past, but there’s growing confidence that as he continues to play and get his legs back under him and timing down, his play should improve. Simply put, the Hawks need to do a much better job protecting the basket. Hopefully, when rookie Onyeka Okongwu is healthy and ready to go, he can help in that department.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The Atlanta Haws need more Nathan Knight</h2>
<p>After a win over the Grizzlies, head coach Lloyd Pierce said, “I’m only here to talk about <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/knighna01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Nathan Knight</a>,” so how could we talk about the Hawks’ start to the season and not mention Knight. The undrafted rookie was a pleasant surprise for Hawks fans, scoring 14 points and pulling down three rebounds in less than nine minutes of action against the Grizzlies.</p>
<p>Knight showed off his athleticism with a two-handed slam over Brandon Clarke on an alley-oop pass from Trae Young. He also vaulted up to disrupt an alley-oop on the defensive end as well. He knocked down two 3-pointers and made four of his five free-throw attempts.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/Stadium/status/1342983284121366528?s=19</p>
<p>One of the most glaring issues the team has right now is there is no true backup for Capela. In spite of the long layoff since the Hawks’ season ended in March, Bruno Fernando doesn’t seem to have gotten any better and has been a non-factor thus far.</p>
<p>Despite the Hawks’ bench averaging 39 ppg, they are only a -0.5 plus/minus, and that’s in large part to Fernando’s ineffectiveness. Through six games, Fernando is averaging 1.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 0.5 steals-plus-blocks per game. His 44 percent field goal percentage for a big man who rarely ever steps out on the perimeter is dreadful, to say the least.</p>
<p>Knight has proven to be further ahead in his development and more impactful on the game in his limited action. In just 15 minutes of play across three appearances, Knight has scored more points than Fernando and shot the ball more efficiently.</p>
<p>He’s only appeared in three games and has a plus/minus of -16 in 15 minutes of game action, but with the Hawks lacking size in the paint and injuries mounting up, the 6’10” 253-pound big man could force Pierce’s hand into giving him more playing time.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-419790" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2220,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1293545204.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2220" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293545204.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1293545204-768x533.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px" /><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Internal development</h2>
<p>The Atlanta Hawks brass knew in order to have a successful offseason; it wasn’t going to be enough to strike gold in free agency and the draft. Still, they would also need internal development from their young core, mainly Cam Reddish, De’Andre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter. All three have looked more confident, comfortable, and aggressive on both ends of the floor.</p>
<p>Reddish and Hunter have started all six games for the Hawks this season, while Huerter has been a vital piece off the bench.</p>
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<p>Huerter isn’t the defender that Hunter and Reddish are, but he is quietly leading the team with 1.5 steals per game and a 45.0 steal percentage. Always an elite shooter and capable scorer, Huerter has improved upon his efficiency. His field goal attempts are slightly down this year (9.2 per game) compared to last season (10.7 per game) and from long distance (6.0 last season and 4.6 this season), but he’s managed to increase his percentages. His 38 percent 3-point percentage a season ago is up to 46.4 percent, and his field goal percentage has improved to a career-high 47.3 percent, up from the 41.3 percent he shot a season last year.</p>
<p>After struggling mightily for most of his rookie campaign, Reddish is averaging 12.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game and scored in double digits in four of six games to start the season. While his field goal percentage is still in the basement (38.2), his 3-point shooting has improved dramatically. Reddish is connecting on 38.1 percent of his 3-pointers after making just 33.2 percent of his 3-point attempts in his rookie season. He also leads the starting unit with a 42.1 steal percentage and ranks 15th in the NBA with 19 deflections, making his presence felt on defense.</p>
<p>Hunter has arguably made the most significant and noticeable improvements. Following a disappointing rookie season, Hunter has started his sophomore campaign with a bang. He’s averaging 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while posting .516/.483/.769 shooting splits.</p>
<p>Despite being known for his defense, he struggled on that side of the ball last season. Per Synergy, Hunter ranked in the 33rd percentile on defense and 61st percentile defending around the basket (non-post-ups). Through six games this season, those numbers jump to the 41st and 70th percentile, respectively. Still not great; however, it’s still an improvement. He’s also done a much better job defending against jump shots. He allowed 1.06 points per possession (PPP) while defending jump shots as a rookie, but so far this season, he’s holding opponents to 0.906 PPP on jumpers.</p>
<p>Though it’s still very early in the season, it is encouraging to see all three of these guys step up and make necessary improvements to their game, which directly reflects Atlanta’s 4-2 start to the season.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/01/04/atlanta-hawks-five-takeaways-six-games/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The bench has been great.</h2>
<p>Last season the Atlanta Hawks averaged a paltry 34.0 bench points per game, which ranked 21st in the NBA while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from 3-point territory with a -3.3 plus/minus. This season the Hawks bench is lighting it up, ranking ninth in the league, averaging 39 ppg while shooting 43.8 percent from the perimeter and 43.9 percent overall with -0.5 plus/minus.</p>
<p>The plus/minus column should improve even more once defensive stalwart Kris Dunn returns from ankle surgery, and sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari returns from a sprained ankle. Perhaps the most significant statistic to magnify the drastic improvements the Hawks made to their bench unit comes in the form of offensive rating.</p>
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<p>According to basketball reference, last season, the Atlanta Hawks had an amazing offensive rating of 112.6 with Trae Young on the court, but it plummeted to 98.5 when he went to the bench, which was by far the worst in the league. There’s still an expected drop in the offense this season when Young gets some rest, but it isn’t as significant as it has been in the past.</p>
<p>In fact, when Young heads to the bench now, the Hawks boast an offensive rating of 107.6, compared to 122.4 when he’s on the court, still good for the 15th best offensive rating in the league. That’s in large part to the franchise’s newfound depth and a plethora of perimeter shooters. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Huerter, and Solomon Hill are all shooting at least 37 percent from three so far.</p>
<p>Solomon Hill has also been a nice surprise for the Hawks and has emerged as a key piece in the bench unit. He’s shooting 37 percent from downtown on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game, which is also a career-high. After signing a one-year veteran’s minimum contract to join the Hawks, Solo has been lights out, playing in a larger role than initially expected.</p>
<p>Depth and shooting have become the team’s biggest strengths and will be needed throughout the season. Due to various injuries, the Hawks have yet to play at full strength, and head coach Llyod Pierce has already deployed three different starting lineups through the first six games of the season.</p>
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