It only gets harder for Hawks

What’s wrong with the Hawks?

They returned from the All-Star break vowing to regroup and promptly lost to the Heat's "B" team. The next night the Hawks would not accept when the Bucks tried to give them a W they didn't deserve. Now the Warriors are in town, chasing the 95-96 Bulls. They are no doubt refocused after the Blazers waxed them on Friday and then they nearly blew a big lead to the Clippers on Saturday.

If the Hawks don't figure it out soon, the discussion will shift from what seed they might get in the Eastern Conference to whether they will make the playoffs at all. If that sounds hyperbolic, consider that the Hawks are just 3 1/2 games ahead of the ninth-place Pistons. Detroit has two home games left against the Hawks.

Also look at the Hawks' remaining schedule. NBA.com's strength of schedule metric ranks it as the most difficult in the East. The stat looks at the home and away winning percentage for opponents and also factors in whether either will be on the second night of a back-to-back when they meet.

The Hawks still have to play the Warriors and Cavaliers twice (though it’s possible the Cavs will have clinched the top seed by the time of the second meeting). The Hawks still have three games against the Raptors, with two on the road. The Hawks are at the Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back. They have a game each remaining against the Celtics and Pacers.

The eighth-place Bulls have a much easier reaming schedule. So does seventh-place Charlotte. Each of those teams has issues but it’s become clear the Hawks do, too, even if their problems are harder to pin down.

The Hawks’ space-and-pace looks the same . . . until they shoot the open shots they still are creating at a high rate. The Hawks can’t rebound but they weren’t much better at it last year. They are actually better on defense this season.

At Peachtree Hoops, Jason Walker makes the case that the Hawks are not as mediocre as perceived but lack passion. No doubt this group does not seem to have the same spirit as last season. But are they not winning as much because they lack passion, or are they lacking passion because they aren't winning as much?

Was DeMarre Carroll holding it all together? Hawks boss Mike Budenholzer knows better than anyone if Carroll was that important, and he let him walk via free agency. Then again, can you really retroactively blame Budenholzer for not topping the four-year, $60 million the Raptors gave to a player who had only been a rotation guy for two seasons?

I believe the Hawks' flaws are fundamental but it's feasible they can still get it together and prove otherwise. They'll have to do it against a tough schedule, though, starting tonight against the Warriors. A victory against the Warriors was a highlight of the Hawks' regular season in 2015-16. A year later, a victory against the Warriors would be a shock.

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