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Struggling Spurs Host Hottest Team in the East



Two teams heading in opposite directions meet tonight in San Antonio. The Spurs, having lost five in a row, will host the Hawks, who’ve won five straight. Apparently revitalized by the return of Kevin Huerter to the starting lineup, the Hawks’ offense has returned to last year’s form, sparking a run that has completely changed the team’s once dwindling prospects for the season, while the Spurs continue to search for a spark of their own.

Just two weeks ago, the two teams were in similar situations, both with 4 wins, sitting just outside the play-in race looking in. But the Hawks have surged into the conversation and find themselves just a game out of 6th place in the East, while the Spurs have fallen to 3.5 games out of 10th in the West, which is also the exact amount of cushion they have between them and the worst record in the league.

Five Things to Watch

1. Defensive intensity will be especially important, because the Hawks offense has been rolling, putting up over 122 points per 100 possessions over the 5-game winning streak they’ll ride into San Antonio. They are now the 5th best offense in the league, thanks in large part to Trae Young’s 25 points and 9 assists per game. The Spurs, on the other hand, have been struggling, and currently sit 22nd in the league on that end of the floor, scoring just 105.5 points per 100 possessions.
   
   
2. For two teams that have seen drastically different levels of success on offense, the Spurs and the Hawks have remarkably similar shot profiles. Per Cleaning the Glass, both teams are bottom 10 in the league in percentage of shots taken at the rim and bottom 5 in percentage of shots taken from three point range, which leaves both in the top 3 in the league in percentage of shots taken in the midrange.
   
   
3. The difference in the two offenses appears to primarily stem from offensive rebounding and three-point accuracy. The Hawks pull down about 2 more offensive rebounds per game than the Spurs and have hit 36.7% from deep this season, compared to the Spurs’ 34.1%. It may not seem like much, but a couple of extra possessions and another made three per game would probably be enough to push the Spurs’ offense all the way up to the top 10. Alas, if only it were that simple.
   
   
4. The Hawks starters are a problem. Since Hunter’s injury, the Hawks have been tipping off with the lineup of Young, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kevin Huerter, John Collins and Clint Capela, and so far this season, that group is +59, second only to the Timberwolves’ starting lineup that ran the Spurs off the floor last week.
   
   
5. One small change the Spurs could make is to find more time and more shots for Devin Vassell. The Spurs’ 21 year old forward is the only player on the team above the 70th percentile in points per shot attempt, per Cleaning the Glass, and his buttery smooth jumper and quick release from deep make him an obvious option for finding more high value looks without sacrificing anything on defense. He’s already the team’s 3rd leading scorer, at 12.8 ppg, despite playing just over 26 minutes per contest, and that number could easily blossom with more opportunity.

The Spurs rank No. 23 in the NBA with a -2.1 net rating, and they particularly struggle offensively. San Antonio scores just 105.5 points per 100 possessions this season, which ranks in the lower third of the NBA. The Spurs have struggled to replace the losses of Demar DeRozan and Lamarcus Alridge in terms of scoring, as their young players have not been able to maintain consistency offensively.

Atlanta comes into this game with a clear talent edge and a good opportunity to work on their road win-loss record.

Jamaaliver wrote:I didn't realize things had gotten so bad in San Antonio. D White, D Murray & G Popovich kinda hate Trae, but I foresee an easy victory.

The Spurs rank No. 23 in the NBA with a -2.1 net rating, and they particularly struggle offensively. San Antonio scores just 105.5 points per 100 possessions this season, which ranks in the lower third of the NBA. The Spurs have struggled to replace the losses of Demar DeRozan and Lamarcus Alridge in terms of scoring, as their young players have not been able to maintain consistency offensively.

Atlanta comes into this game with a clear talent edge and a good opportunity to work on their road win-loss record.

Peachtree Hoops

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These guys need to tank this year, add a franchise player in the draft, and consolidate some of those solid wings into a young All Star.

HMFFL wrote:Our Hawks looked great tonight. One more game to go on this road trip.