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Atlanta Hawks: Don’t look now but the Hawks are still undefeated

ByLarry Hammonds|
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against Killian Hayes #7 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at State Farm Arena on December 28, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after hitting a three-point basket against Killian Hayes #7 of the Detroit Pistons during the second half at State Farm Arena on December 28, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Much to the skeptics’ dismay, the Atlanta Hawks are off to a scintillating start to the season, kicking off the 2020-2021 campaign with a 3-0 record.

Much to the skeptics’ dismay, the Atlanta Hawks are off to a scintillating start to the 2020-2021 season. After a busy offseason and expectations of continued development from their young core, the Hawks entered the season with a lot of hype surrounding the franchise. Through the first three games, the Hawks have managed to live up to that hype, as they are one of two teams who remain undefeated entering today’s slate of games.

In the season opener against the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta led by as much as 40 in a 20-point blowout. Next, we saw Trae Young outduel Ja Morant as the Hawks rode the hot hand of their franchise point guard to a 10-point victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

This past Monday, in the first game at the State Farm arena since an overtime loss to the New York Knicks back in March, the Hawks continued their hot start to the season with an eight-point victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Beating the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons is nothing to brag about with these being games the Hawks should win; these are also the same type of games they would have lost last year. Last season the Hawks were 10-15 against eventual lottery teams, something they must improve on this season if they will make the playoffs.

Against the Pistons, the Hawks allowed a season-high 55 points in the paint as they watched a 24-point lead shrink to seven before the bench unit led by Rajon Rondo brought it back up to 18 before the starters took over the rest of the way and sealed the deal.

Once again, the Hawks showed resilience and perseverance in a situation where fans have become far too accustomed to seeing them crumble and suffer defeat. Albeit two of the first three games were against highly probable lottery teams and one fringe playoff contender, the Hawks have been able to overcome a litany of injuries and rack up some early wins.

We have yet to see the Hawks go full strength with Rondo, Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Onyeka Okongwu, Tony Snell, and Kris Dunn already missing multiple games due to various ailments and injuries.

Capela and Rondo made their Hawks debut against the Pistons as Gallinari missed a second consecutive game, and Dunn, Snell, and Okongwu have yet to suit up for the Hawks. Dunn is currently without a timetable to return after an MRI revealed loose cartilage in his right ankle. Surgery to remove the loose cartilage was scheduled for today, and the team should be providing updates soon.

According to Cleaning the Glass, the Atlanta Hawks are the league’s best offense so far this season, averaging 123.7 points per 100 possessions. They lead the NBA in free throw rate at 35 percent, and their true shooting percentage of 63.5 is also tops in the league.

Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter have played significant minutes for the Hawks so far, and most importantly, they look more confident, aggressive, and comfortable on both ends of the floor. Reddish continues to look better with each passing game, picking up where he left off last season. Bogdanovic seems to be fitting in nicely as expected, and Rondo has already made his impact felt.

Trae Young has been scintillating for the Atlanta Hawks

Following a subpar preseason performance where he shot poorly through all four games, Young has gotten off to a hot start averaging 34.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game to start the season. What’s probably been most impressive is his 91.3 free percentage on a league-leading 15.3 free throw attempts per game. He’s dramatically improved his efficiency thus far as well, posting eye-popping shooting splits of .531/.421/.913 compared to the .437/.361/.860 he shot last season.

Entering his third season in the NBA, Young is wise enough not to get too high or too low. In the aftermath of the Hawks victory over the Pistons, Young addressed the media:

"”Being 3-0 is great for us, and for me, it’s all about taking it one game at a time. We’re going up to Brooklyn to play a really good team, and we need to bring the same energy and effort. I’m super excited about this team. Just need to get everyone healthy, and it’ll be fun.”"

It is a tiny sample size of just three games, and it hasn’t all been pretty, but there’s a lot to be excited about so far and moving forward for the franchise. Next up, the Atlanta Hawks face their first true test of the season against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night at 7:30pm ET.

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