Hoops Habit
Fansided

Atlanta Hawks: 5 Reasons We’ve Got Ourselves A Series

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with players during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks with players during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Atlanta Hawks
Apr 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer reacts with guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Nets 99-92. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

2. ATL Bench Woes

Let’s not give the Nets too much credit though. After all, they’re starting to sound like a legitimate playoff team!

As much as Brooklyn’s seen the light on the defensive end, and as stunning as Deron Williams’ Game 4 detonation was, the Hawks could easily put this series away if their bench started playing worth a damn.

To be clear, the Hawks never had a great bench during the regular season. Dennis Schroder shows signs of promise and Mike Scott scoring outbursts were always fun, but Atlanta’s reserves only averaged 32.2 points per game — ranking them 17th in the NBA among bench units.

But at least during the regular season, the Hawks were able to keep things relatively level, outscoring the opposition by 2.3 points per 100 possessions.

In the playoffs, the Hawks’ subs are actually outscoring Brooklyn’s reserves (26.0 points per game compared to 24.0 points per game). And yet, Atlanta’s reserves have a plus/minus of -11.0 per 100 possessions — the second worst mark of any playoff team. Brooklyn’s reserves, on the other hand, have a point differential of +5.0 points per 100 possessions, the second best mark of the postseason.

Schroder and Kent Bazemore have been awful, with both players missing easy shots and looking lost on both ends of the floor. The same goes for Antic, who’s been dominated by Lopez when he’s been in there.

In their two wins, the Hawks’ bench has outscored Brooklyn’s reserves 56-30. In their two losses, they’ve been outscored 66-48. For Atlanta to pull its head out of its you-know-where, it’ll have to start with Schroder finding his footing. It’ll have to start with the Hawks not giving up big games to guys like Jarrett Jack or Alan Anderson.

And is it too much to ask for a damn positive plus/minus for Atlanta’s bench players?

Next: No. 1

Home/Atlanta Hawks