Atlanta Hawks: 3 things the Hawks have been doing right this season
By Malik Brown
Despite all the trouble that COVID-19 has brought the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks have been doing the right things off and on the court so far this season.
It has been one wacky way to start the season. Contract tracing, teams not having enough required players to suit up, and postponed games have all doomed the league three weeks into the season. The Atlanta Hawks have been on the good side of things so far.
Despite their game being postponed against the Phoenix Suns, it looks like they’ve been staying away from the chaos.
Besides doing the right things off the court to stay safe, they’ve also been doing a lot of right things on the court.
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Through 10 games, the Hawks have shown promise of being a better team than last year. Of course they still have problems to fix, but when this team is on, they’re hard to stop.
So what is it that they’re doing right? Let’s take a look at three key things.
1. Rebounding has improved
If you watched any games from last season, you know the Hawks had a center problem. Deploying the likes of Damian Jones and Alex Len as your starting centers and giving them extended minutes is not promising for any team.
Rebounding was bad, the interior defense was bad, which means the centers were bad. The Hawks went out and solved their problem during last season’s trade deadline and acquired Clint Capela. Due to injury, Capela wasn’t able to play until this season, and he’s already shown to be a major upgrade at the position.
Capela has always been known for grabbing rebounds at a high rate, and he’s doing just that with the Hawks. Through 10 games, he’s averaging 12.9 rebounds, and the Hawks are getting extra possessions with him averaging 3.9 offensive rebounds per game.
The way Capela fights to keep the ball alive shows his athleticism and length. He may not have an offensive package, but at times he’s shown that he can be crafty around the rim. When he’s not making things work on his own, catching a lob or two from Trae Young doesn’t hurt.
Capela has shown to be one of the most important acquisitions on the team.