Last Week: Lost to New York Knicks 123-112, Beat Boston Celtics 122-114, Lost to Boston Celtics 121-109
This Week: 2/21 vs. Denver Nuggets, 2/23 at Cleveland Cavaliers, 2/24 vs. Boston Celtics, 2/26 at Oklahoma City Thunder
Questions abound about what exactly is going wrong with the Atlanta Hawks. Injuries have certainly complicated their season and if you were not paying attention you could simply say that and think that that explained all of their issues. It is unfortunately not that simple.
Trae Young is far too dependent on getting to the line to make his game work. When he is not sent to the charity stripe for double-digit attempts in a game the offense grinds to a screeching halt and Young suddenly becomes much easier to deal with.
Even sometimes when he has things going it is just not enough. Against the Boston Celtics on Friday, Young was stunning with 31 points on 16 shots and carried the team. Clint Capela added 24 points and 15 rebounds. Unfortunately, only one other Hawk broke double figures and the team stumbled.
Some of this comes down to coaching and Lloyd Pierce has not been without criticism. The offense he has run has often been described as a lack thereof. Some vocal fans were happy to see what they may get with Nate McMillan taking the helm as Pierce missed two games due to the birth of his child. Splitting games with the Boston Celtics leaves as many questions as answers.