When you look at the standings and the numbers, the Atlanta Hawks look like a perfectly average basketball team. They are 4-4 with a win over some good teams and some tough losses, including a 22-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. While they were expected to be contenders for a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference (which is still possible), they were not looked at as a real NBA contender to get to the Finals.
But there are some real concerns that they might not even be an average team if they can't start to figure some things out. Even in a win last night against Indiana , the Hawks had to struggle to beat a team that had its entire starting five out and only had six players available. Sure, Atlanta had some players out as well, but the Hawks have some real concerns about the way their team is playing.
Let's get into them.
When you hit 15 more three-pointers than a team, you should be able to win by quite a bit. A 45 point advantage from the three point line is pretty large and that is what the Hawks had against the Pacers last night.
But the game remained close because the Hawks could not keep the Pacers out of the paint and through eight games this season, Atlanta is one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to points allowed in the paint, as they rank 27th in the NBA with 53.8 points allowed in the paint per game. Only the Pelicans, Clippers, and Kings are worse. They gave up 54 to the Pacers, 66 to the Pelicans, 70 to the Miami Heat, and 46 to the Cavaliers. They could not stop the Houston Rockets either.
One of the big problems the Hawks faced this season was their lack of size and rim protection. While Onyeka Okongwu is a fine center (having a terrible season), he is not a rim protector, nor is backup center Jock Landale. The Hawks don't have a true rim protector, and this team knew it heading into the year. They rank 29th in the NBA in blocks and allow teams to score in the paint too easily.
Quin Snyder has talked this season that the best thing for his team is paint prevention, but that has not transpired either. Snyder has to figure out how to not have such a disadvantage in the paint game after game or the Hawks will be sunk.
The Hawks have not been an elite three-point shooting team this season, but what is more alarming is their low percentage on two-point attempts. At shots less than five feet from the basket, the Hawks are only making 61.7% of their attempts, good for 23rd in the NBA.
They are the worst shooting team in the NBA when it comes to shots 10-14 feet from the basket. Atlanta is only making 27.7% of their attempts, nearly a full percentage point worse than the next team and nearly eight percentage points worse than the 5th worst shooting team from that distance, the Houston Rockets.
Is this just bad shooting luck or will this continue for Atlanta?
It was a surprise for the Hawks when McCollum was able to do what he did for the team last season and they brought him back on a one-year deal this offseason.
While the numbers are not a total disaster, McCollum has looked a step slower on defense and when he is on the court, the Hawks defensive rating is 3.7 points worse. The AST% is worse as well, leading me to wonder if the Hawks would be better off with Kingston Flemings in the starting lineup. McCollum is not a good shot creator for his teammates and I think the Hawks might need to find him another role, which he could excel in.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/hawks/onsi as Three Major Atlanta Hawks Concerns After Close Win vs Depleted Pacers Squad .
