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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 /
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Atlanta Hawks
Apr 19, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kyle Korver (26) shoots a three point shot 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 /

1. Missing Good Shots

The bench woes seem like a simple fix, but the truth is, there’s an even simpler one that starts with a novel concept: the Atlanta Hawks…one of the best shooting teams in the NBA during the regular season…need to shoot the ball well. WHOA.

Brooklyn’s defense has been vastly improved, but the simple fact of the matter is, the Hawks are still getting a high number of quality looks. They just aren’t making them.

According to NBA.com, the Hawks have generated 70 shots through the first four games in which the shooter’s closest defender was six feet or further away — tied for the second-most “wide open” looks of the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, Atlanta has made only 25 of them (35.7 percent, the second-lowest percentage in the postseason).

So just to make sure you’re still with me, Atlanta has generated the second-most wide open looks of the playoffs, but they’re shooting the second-worst percentage on such shots.

You don’t have to look far to see where it’s coming from. Korver, the three-point sniper who shot a staggering 49.2 percent from three-point range during the regular season, has made only 12 of his 36 attempts from downtown (33.3 percent). He’s not the only one who’s seen his shooting percentages plummet, however:

  • Jeff Teague:  46.0 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 86.2 FT%  —>  40.4 FG%, 28.6 3P%, 78.9 FT%
  • Paul Millsap:  47.6 FG%  —>  42.6 FG%
  • Al Horford:  53.8 FG%  —>  42.3 FG%
  • Kyle Korver:  48.7 FG%, 49.2 3P%, 89.8 FT%  —>  40.0 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 80.0 FG%
  • Dennis Schroder:  42.7 FG%, 35.1 3P%  —>  39.5 FG%, 25.0 3P%
  • Kent Bazemore:  42.6 FG%, 36.4 3P%  —>  28.6 FG%, 0.0 3P%

I mean, come on. When DeMarre Carroll and Pero Antic are the only ones stepping their percentages up for the postseason, you know it’s going to be trouble. Atlanta is shooting a miserable 34.1 percent on wide open threes — a considerable downgrade from the 39.4 percent they posted on such attempts during the regular season.

It’s not that Brooklyn’s defense is contesting shots well; it’s that the Hawks aren’t making the open looks their offense is designed to provide. In this case, this is one area where the Hawks really do have the yips.

It’s evident all over the court, from Schroder missing layups to Horford misfiring in the midrange to Korver coming up short from deep. But shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from downtown as a team isn’t going to cut it for a group so reliant on shooting efficiency.

For the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks to stop playing around and cut down the Nets (no pun intended), this could just be as simple as making some open shots.

Next: Toronto Raptors: Major Changes Need To Be Made

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