Hawks struggling with injuries, defense and 4th Q woes

[leo7]

If Hunter can stay healthy, that would solve a lot of defensive problems.

[D21]

If Hunter can stay healthy, that would solve a lot of defensive problems.

Right, but I won't put all the problem on him. I was not liking the fact that he returned too early last season and injured again, then he played Vs NYK, thanks it may have been needed to beat them, but it was too much early once again.
Then he started this season, while I would played him less... I start to think that, especially for him but for other too, they make them played too much early or too many minutes after an injury.
In the end, we don't get more wins with players in for some games then out for some other... than loosing a bit more then getting them healthier and with a full roster.

I won't change my mind on one thing : if healthy with a full roster, this team know how to defend.
They are just frustrated to have more missed games than last season while they thought before the start of the season that they would be all together for a the whole season, and so better than last season from the start.

[wco81]

Are we getting close to a consensus that a roster adjustment needs to happen?

Or just waiting for Bogdan, Collins and Hunter to come back and right the ship?

Do we believe adding those three makes us contenders again?

Were they really a contender though, despite the run to the ECF last year?

They beat a Knicks team which overachieved last season but turned out to be a real flawed team.

Then they beat the 76ers which were imploding with their second best player playing himself off the team.

Most of last season, they didn't play well, but then played really well the last 1/2 or 1/3 and into the playoffs.


Trae has proven he's a great offensive player. But then what? A lot of lotto picks who looked great coming into this season but they're not playing to their potential or maybe last season's run was the outlier.

Almost half way point in this season. They're only 2 games from #10 but 5 games from #6.

As great as all these young players are on paper, they haven't proven that they can flip a switch and repeat the run from last season.


It's now or never if they're going to flip that switch.

Losting to the Clippers without PG13?

Their next 6 games, they play the Heat, which look like a top 4 team in the East, 3 times and the Bucks once.

They will either shut up their doubters after this stretch or really get buried out of the top 6 in the EC.

[Jamaaliver]

Were they really a contender though, despite the run to the ECF last year?


Almost half way point in this season. They're only 2 games from #10 but 5 games from #6.

As great as all these young players are on paper, they haven't proven that they can flip a switch and repeat the run from last season.


Their next 6 games, they play the Heat, which look like a top 4 team in the East, 3 times and the Bucks once.

They will either shut up their doubters after this stretch or really get buried out of the top 6 in the EC.

You're not wrong.............

[Jamaaliver]

Cam's recent injury history is likely the only thing that saves him from getting traded.

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

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[chrismikayla]

There is something going on chemistry wise in the locker room. They aren’t even fun to watch anymore. Are they trying to get Nate fired?


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[Jamaaliver]

I have a theory: despite a top-5 offensive rating, I don’t think our offense is actually elite. It is productive, no doubt. But an elite offense would *NOTget shut down in crunch time so consistently.

This happens pretty much every close game. Opposing defenses lock us up and we can’t buy a bucket in the final minutes. We hit threes like crazy, but beyond that—it’s just Trae and a bunch of bums.

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[Galloisdaman]

Just not playing as a bonded team this season. I agree with another poster that the team bonded last season with less players getting minutes at times. I think the roles were more known and accepted. This season more guys are trying to do it on their own. It is a long season. They can still get it together but it will have to be as a unit not as individuals.

[wco81]

This group has only had a very high winning stretch for only 2-3 months?

Otherwise, the Trae, Collins, Hunter, Huerter core has been together 2-3 seasons now, mostly losing in that time?

The coaching change last season led to winning but it seems the league has adjusted or maybe McMillan isn't motivating the players to put out the same effort as last April to May/June.

[jayu70]

This group has only had a very high winning stretch for only 2-3 months?

Otherwise, the Trae, Collins, Hunter, Huerter core has been together 2-3 seasons now, mostly losing in that time?

The coaching change last season led to winning but it seems the league has adjusted or maybe McMillan isn't motivating the players to put out the same effort as last April to May/June.

Hunter has missed a very large portion of those games.

[wco81]

This group has only had a very high winning stretch for only 2-3 months?

Otherwise, the Trae, Collins, Hunter, Huerter core has been together 2-3 seasons now, mostly losing in that time?

The coaching change last season led to winning but it seems the league has adjusted or maybe McMillan isn't motivating the players to put out the same effort as last April to May/June.

Hunter has missed a very large portion of those games.

In that case, maybe the team should have chosen Reddish to keep and re-sign and maybe hope that Jalen Johnson can also turn into a reliable rotation piece.

If there are stats showing lineups with Hunter are showing much better net than lineups without him, that should be a hopeful sign.

[jayu70]

This group has only had a very high winning stretch for only 2-3 months?

Otherwise, the Trae, Collins, Hunter, Huerter core has been together 2-3 seasons now, mostly losing in that time?

The coaching change last season led to winning but it seems the league has adjusted or maybe McMillan isn't motivating the players to put out the same effort as last April to May/June.

Hunter has missed a very large portion of those games.

In that case, maybe the team should have chosen Reddish to keep and re-sign and maybe hope that Jalen Johnson can also turn into a reliable rotation piece.

If there are stats showing lineups with Hunter are showing much better net than lineups without him, that should be a hopeful sign.

Reddish has had his own injury issues - he is currently out injured and per reports 'he will be out a while'
And just to add - the 1st 2 years of Trae and Huerter were deliberate tank jobs by the GM.

[D21]

In that case, maybe the team should have chosen Reddish to keep and re-sign and maybe hope that Jalen Johnson can also turn into a reliable rotation piece.

If there are stats showing lineups with Hunter are showing much better net than lineups without him, that should be a hopeful sign.

More important, there are stats showing that Reddish was our worst defensive Net rating last season, and our worst general Net rating this season. So Hunter, or anyone else had better impact than Reddish

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

It happened again. One night later. Elite offenses don't get shut down this easily and frequently by mediocre defenses. We over rely on the 3. We need a secondary scorer who can create his own shot.

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I have a theory: despite a top-5 offensive rating, I don’t think our offense is actually elite. It is productive, no doubt. But an elite offense would *NOT get shut down in crunch time so consistently.

This happens pretty much every close game. Opposing defenses lock us up and we can’t buy a bucket in the final minutes. We hit threes like crazy, but beyond that—it’s just Trae and a bunch of bums.

Read on Twitter

[D21]

They are nothing without Capela, that's all. He makes him better on both sides, and gives more options to Trae that the defense struggle to cover.
Gallo was playing far better with Onyeka than once with Trae and Collins.

The only thing that can let see the more real team value is if they can soon play with both Clint and Onyeka.

And as they need to maximize everything, STOP with these Yellow jerseys/court! They are awful and...
All 4 home games in Yellow were L
3 of the home games in Black were L
2 of the home games in Red were L
1 of the home games in White was L

STOP IT! Just play in White, or Red (but not on Red paint), or MLK Black

[Jamaaliver]

I want Kenny Atkinson!!!

Bold Predictions for the NBA Season's Second Half

Two More Head Coaches Will Lose Their Jobs



Coaches are hired to be fired, and all it takes is a losing streak or suddenly tuned-out locker room to land someone on the hot seat.

If forced to be specific, the two likeliest firing candidates look like the Los Angeles Lakers' Frank Vogel and Atlanta's McMillan.

Both coaches' teams have disappointed, but McMillan can't even blame the poor performance on injury or a foolishly constructed roster. His Hawks reached the East Finals last season, but they wouldn't even be within sniffing distance of the play-in if the postseason started today.

Vogel won a ring just 15 months ago, but LeBron James' presence pressurizes every situation. McMillan has only had the job for about half that long, and the Hawks extended his deal shortly after last season. Saying either of them (or in this case both of them) is going to be out of work by season's end is a bet on the wild, reactionary capriciousness of NBA owners.

That seems like a reasonable wager to make.

[wco81]

No please don't poach Atkinson from the Warriors for another season. Need him to work with the young players here.