Hawks to use short break to recharge and find ‘good juice’ after heavy load

The Hawks have one of the rare luxuries in the NBA this week: multiple consecutive practice days.

With the league running the knockout stage of the NBA Cup, teams that did not advance in the tournament will play two previously unscheduled games. The Hawks are among the 22 teams that did not advance to the next stage of the NBA Cup, and after their elimination the league added the remaining two games to their docket.

So, the Hawks will face the Pistons on Friday and the Sixers on Sunday.

The Hawks last played Saturday against the Wizards, the second of back-to-back games. So, after taking off Sunday, the Hawks returned to the court to begin taking advantage of consecutive days of practice.

“We try to be really intentional about what that means,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s not like a preseason, (with a) two-a-day thing. But I think there are a lot of things that you keep track of, note over a period of time, certain things that certain teams have done that we’re not prepared to adjust to on the level that we want because we haven’t worked on. So you get to step back and kind of look at some things from a tactical standpoint and help our players understand that, and then you can go work on it.”

Though far from perfect, the Hawks have navigated the first quarter of the season well. They’ve faced plenty of adversity, all while learning how to play without star guard Trae Young.

They ranked as high as third in the league early this season, though they’ve since slid to ninth in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks have played their way back into being among the top 10 defenses in the NBA. But they still have to work out the kinks that lead to their offense falling stagnant.

“I think the focus is just trying to use this time to take care of our bodies, to sharpen up the areas that maybe in the first 25 games we weren’t sharp in, and to really, really hone in and just really make that identity in which we are throughout these 25 (games) — things that are going well and things that aren’t — this is the time to work on both and just get better,” Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said.

“It feels like one of those summer days when you’re just about to start right before training camp, kind of just building up. But sometimes those are just as valuable. If you’re having a shooting slump, here’s the time to get confident. If you’re shooting well, here’s the time to just really sharpen your knives kind of thing. So all in all, it is the time that you make it.”

The Hawks (14-11) have played 25 games this season, tied with the Cavaliers for most games played through Dec. 7. They lead the league in road games played, with 15 of their first 25 taking place away from State Farm Arena.

While playing on the road has lent itself to the building of the team’s camaraderie, the travel schedule hasn’t always been kind to the players’ bodies. So, the Hawks plan to strike the right balance between getting their work in while taking care of any bumps and getting rest.