RealGM

Mike Cunningham wrote:The Hawks have won seven of nine to improve to a season-high nine games above .500 after pounding the Pacers on Sunday. With 15 games to play they are now just 1 1/2 games behind the Celtics for third in the East.

What’s most surprising about the Hawks’ surge is that the defense, already good, has been even better. The Hawks have allowed 93.4 points per 100 possessions over their last nine [games], compared to 101.2 points allowed per 100 possessions for the season (second-best in the league). The Hawks were a very good defensive team last season and they’ve been even better this season.

Chris Vivlamore wrote:The Hawks are second in the NBA in defensive efficiency at 98.6 points per 100 possessions. They trail only the Spurs at 95.5. However, the Hawks are first in the league in the statistic since Dec. 12 at 96.2.

The Hawks are sixth in the league in points allowed at 98.6 points per game. However, they are second since Jan. 1 at 97.1 and first since Jan. 12 at 96.0.


Other statistics to support what the Hawks are doing defensively:

* First in the league in defended field goal percentage at 43.2 percent.

* Second in opponent field goal percentage at .433

* Third in forced turnovers at 15.8.

* Third in steals at 9.3.

* Fifth in defended field goals attempted and eighth in defended field goals made.

* Fifth in opponent 3-point field goal percentage at .334.

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer and players reiterated Sunday night that the team’s defense has allowed time for the offense to develop in what has been an inconsistent season.

“Man, our guards. Jeff did a great job on Monta Ellis. (Kent Bazemore) and Thabo (Sefolosha) did a great job on Paul George. Those guys were fighting over screens, contesting shots. When they contest at that level, I think it makes us a different team.” – Horford on containing Paul George and Monta Ellis

The success of the 60-win Atlanta Hawks during the 2014-2015 season was built on a dominant starting lineup. In nearly 1,000 minutes of game action, the quintet of Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, DeMarre Carroll (now departed), Paul Millsap and Al Horford outscored opponents by 8.1 points per 100 possessions and, in general, Atlanta was able to blow away opponents at the beginning and end of games throughout the campaign.

Fast-forward to the 2015-2016 season, and the "new" starting five began with a thud. Mike Budenholzer inserted Kent Bazemore into the lineup in place of DeMarre Carroll, and while the Hawks rolled up a respectable but underwhelming 31-27 record through late February, the results of the core five-man unit were highly underwhelming. The group was outscored by 2.7 points per 100 possessions in those 58 games, and on the defensive end, the results were disastrous to the tune of 105.7 points allowed per 100 possessions.

During that time, Atlanta was kept afloat by the bench, including strong contributions from Dennis Schröder, Thabo Sefolosha and even Mike Scott. Still, many pointed to the starting lineup's struggles (including in this space) as a reason to potentially insert Sefolosha in place of Bazemore to fix the most prominent five-some. Budenholzer stayed strong, however, and the results have paid off in a phenomenal way in recent weeks as the team's overall performance has also taken off.