Atlanta Hawks Recapturing Last Season’s Form As Playoffs Approach

The Atlanta Hawks have struggled with inconsistency throughout the entirety of the 2015-16 season, failing to replicate the success of last year’s 60-win campaign.

Despite their inconsistencies, the Atlanta Hawks have begun to reclaim some of the swagger they possessed last season, just in time to prepare for the playoffs. Atlanta has won four of its last five games, with its only loss coming in overtime to the Golden State Warriors last Tuesday night.

Last weekend, the Hawks completed the “Staples Sweep,” routing the Los Angeles Lakers by 29 points on Friday night, and securing a huge win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

In their victory over the Clippers, the Hawks overcame a 17-point deficit and L.A.’s usual histrionics to cement arguably their best win of the season; showing great balance, ball movement and defense throughout the contest.

So far this season, the Hawks have been plagued by many issues which have prevented them from replicating the same level of play as they demonstrated a year ago. Horrendous rebounding, the diminished effectiveness of Kyle Korver, and a sometimes disengaged Jeff Teague have all contributed to a create what many fans view as a mediocre season for Mike Budenholzer’s club.

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While all those aforementioned problems have could be attributed to Atlanta’s regression this season, the good news is that the Hawks are beginning to wake up and play like the team they were a season ago. Korver has regained his three-point shot, after suffering through what is perhaps the worst season in his career — and that bodes well for the Hawks for the rest of the season.

Peachtree Hoops’ Brad Rowland astutely points out that in the month of December, Korver shot only 29.3 percent from beyond the arc; but has a 42.6 three-point percentage for all other months of the season combined.

Also since Jan. 1, Korver has responded well following a disappointing month of December, putting up a 42.2 three-point percentage. When Kyle Korver hits his shots, he draws the majority of an opponent’s defensive attention, allowing the rest of the offense to obtain open shots and exploit mismatches.

In Saturday’s game against the Clippers, Korver finished with only 10 points and was only 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, but was had a team high plus/minus of plus-18. This shows that the Atlanta Hawks are a much better team when Korver is on the court and making his shots, making his teammates the benefactors of his increased defensive attention.

Teague is also making a strong comeback in the second half after beginning the season far from the All-Star form he displayed last year. Against the Clippers, Teague was active on the offensive and defensive ends, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, to go along with seven assists and five rebounds.

Teague’s game against the Clippers accented what was already an excellent month of February, where the Hawks’ starting point guard averaged 17.5 PPG on 49.5 percent shooting, while also making 47.5 percent of his three-point attempts.

With Dennis Schroder averaging almost 16 points per game on 55 percent shooting over the last eight games, there was growing concern among the Hawks fan base that perhaps Teague’s time in Atlanta should come to end, and that Budenholzer should hand the reins of the offense to Schroder at season’s end.

With the way that Teague has played as of late, it will make a potential decision regarding both players even more difficult once the offseason comes.

One acquisition that is easily overlooked but has so far turned out to be a coup for the Atlanta Hawks is the signing of F/C Kris Humphries. The biggest deficiency for the Hawks this season is no doubt rebounding, where they rank 27th in the league, and signing Humphries has so far given Atlanta a more physical body that they desperately needed in their frontcourt.

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Teams can win without possessing the best rebounding acumen; but for the the Hawks, the biggest problem lies in allowing offensive rebounds. Budenholzer’s defensive philosophy is predicated on getting back on defense to limit baskets in transition — which is sound — but the Hawks are so often killed by teams capitalizing on second-, third-, and fourth-chance opportunities (yes, it’s that bad at times).

Following the season-ending injury to Tiago Splitter, the Atlanta Hawks needed someone coming off the bench to match their opponents’ physicality. Humphries has shown that thus far, as well as an unexpectedly developed three-point shot.

Perhaps the best indicator that the Hawks are finally returning to last year’s form is the play of their defense. Since the beginning of January, the Hawks have led the league in defensive efficiency; and now are second in the league, behind only the San Antonio Spurs. Atlanta is also sixth in points allowed, averaging only 99.4 points against this season.

The Hawks do face a difficult schedule ahead of them, as the finish their current road trip up this week with games at Utah and Toronto. They also have playoff teams in Memphis, Indiana and Houston on the horizon, as well as three more dates with the East-leading Cavs.

With solid depth off the bench, and its starters playing well, the Atlanta Hawks are primed to make a run at the end of the regular season and carry momentum into the playoffs. While it remains to be seen whether they will catch either the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics to secure the third seed in the East, it doesn’t really matter.

Next: Tim Hardaway Jr. Finally Finding His Niche With Hawks

When playing well, the Hawks are one of the most dangerous teams in the league. They are well-coached, possess an excellent defense, and play an unselfish brand of basketball. Underestimate them at your own peril.