The Atlanta Hawks got their biggest wins of the season by demolishing the Los Angeles Lakers at home in a 122-102 win. They then followed that up with a huge win on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers, 105-102. These wins pushed the Hawks over .500 at 6-5 and provided a spark to what has been a slower start to the season.
The Hawks have faced adversity in what has been a slow and injury-riddled start to the season, but they’ve already shown that, despite their issues, they’re going to be fine.
Hurt Hawks
The major contributor to the Hawks’ slow start to the season has been the injury report.
Trae Young sustained a right knee MCL sprain against the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the season and has missed the last five games for Atlanta. Losing Young is a big loss on the offensive end for the Hawks, and it has forced different guys to step up in roles they weren’t expected to be in early on in the season.
New trade acquisition Kristaps Porzingis has also missed multiple games for the Hawks while they handle his load management. In a similar situation is the young star Jalen Johnson. The Hawks have been careful with these two early in the season, but they’ve also picked up lingering injuries that further keep them out of games.
Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker have both missed a game apiece as well.
All Hawks On Deck
The Hawks’ on-court issues are easily fixable. The main reason they have been dropping games comes down to rebounding.
Currently, the Hawks rank 28th in the league in defensive rebounding percentage at 65.3. The story is the same on the offensive end at 27.8% placing them 24th in the league.
Atlanta’s hope is that they have the right guys to solve this issue efficiently. The moves the Hawks made in the offseason gave the team length and depth to handle the challenge of rebounding, but they are going to have to value the ball more. The instant they do this, they will turn from one of the worst rebounding teams in the league to average or even a good team.
What has kept the Hawks afloat to handle the slow start of the season is different guys stepping up when these players are out. Early on in the season, no one has made a bigger impression off the bench for the Hawks than Mouhamad Gueye.
Gueye Going Off
Gueye had a career day against the Lakers, scoring 21 points with seven rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks. While Gueye hasn’t been much of a scorer this season, his defensive effort, along with his hustle, has had a huge impact for the Hawks off the bench.
Different guys stepping up for each other has been the memo to start the season, and it will have to continue being the theme for the Hawks. They are going to be able to ride the storm because of the additions they made in the offseason and the development of key players.
Alexander-Walker has taken a lot of the load on the offensive side since Young’s injury. He’s averaging just under 18 points a game right now for the Hawks, and being an efficient scorer while doing so. Atlanta had high expectations for Alexander-Walker, and he’s lived up to them.
https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1985916290230305229?s=20
Another player who has stepped up for the Hawks is last year’s number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
Risacher is averaging 15 points per game over his last five for the Hawks. He’s starting to hunt for his shot more often, and this confidence is showing in the box score. It will be imperative for the Hawks’ future success to continue having Risacher gain confidence and continue to play better.
The Hawks will continue to improve as the season progresses, just by getting healthy and getting games under their belts. The bench as a unit has continued to produce at a high level and will continue to be a focal point for this team.
In the meantime, the Hawks will continue to fight and scrap out games to give themselves a fighting chance down the road.
Leave a comment