The Hawks are fighting an epidemic – of their own making.
One missed shot has led to another. One bad shot has led to another. Before they know it, they are on the losing end of another double-digit defeat. Six in the last 10 games. None more embarrassing than historic back-to-back losses to the Pistons on Friday and Raptors on Saturday by 36 and 44 points, respectively.
“We got our (butt) kicked,” Kent Bazemore said after Saturday’s 128-84 loss to the Raptors. “We had good stretches but we can’t seem to sustain it. It gets us in trouble. We come down and take bad shots. It keeps our defense scrambling trying to get matched in transition and teams just pick us apart.”
The 44-point loss to the Raptors is tied for the fifth worst defeat in franchise history by margin of loss. The 36-point loss to the Pistons is tied for the 20th worst defeat. Conversely, it was the largest margin of victory in Raptors history.
The Hawks are a below .500 team. Hard to imagine after a 9-2 start to the season. However, after losing six straight and nine of the past 10 games, they are reeling.
The Hawks average margin of defeat in the nine most recent losses is 16.8 points per game.
While most players declined to say the team in folding under pressure as the offense struggles game after game and shot after shot misses its mark. But it’s clear there is a building stress. The struggle has gotten in their heads.
“I just think we need to get out of our heads,” Dwight Howard said. “You’re frustrated. You miss a shot and you’re like ‘Oh man, I can’t make a shot’ or ‘Oh man, I just messed up again.’ We just need to get out of our heads and have fun and enjoy this. It’s a blessing to be able to play this game. We just have to stay focused, not get frustrated, as hard as it is. None of us like coming into the locker room down 40 points at the end of the game. It’s a bad feeling but we can’t get frustrated and allow it to carry over. I think we’ve done that. We have to erase it out of our minds. Don’t talk about it. Don’t text about it. Do whatever we can to move on and I know it’s tough.”
The Hawks have missed plenty of shots. They shot under 40 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range in each of the last two losses. They are a combined 13 of 52 from long range.
Compounding the Hawks’ missed shots is that too many are not quality attempts or come out of isolation plays.
“As a competitor you want to get it back,” Bazemore said of facing a deficit. “You come down and take a quick 3 or you try to force something. It’s frustrating because we all have good intentions but we are just executing the wrong way. We are harping on it. We are talking about it. We see how good we can be when the ball is moving and everyone is touching the ball, using all the pieces we have. If it sticks and it doesn’t move, it’s just a bad team. We have to understand the only way we are going to win is to play the right way.”
The Hawks patented ball-movement offense – where a good shot gets passed up for a great shot – has nearly vanished. There have been glimpses of the system working much as it has the previous three seasons. Glimpses won’t get it done in the NBA.
The Hawks once had the best record in the Eastern Conference. They now sit in ninth place. Coaches and players said Saturday they are looking forward to some time at home to clear their heads and get into the practice gym and film room. There next two games are at home, including Monday against the Thunder, after a grueling run of eight of 10 games on the road over a span of 16 days.
“I think it’s been a tough stretch of the schedule,” Korver said. “I think we need, as a team, to commit ourselves to the process. We need to have some good practices. We need to have some good film sessions. We’ve got to change some things.”
WORST LOSSES
The worst losses in Hawks franchise history by margin of defeat:
58 – Minneapolis Lakers 133, St. Louis Hawks 75 on March 19, 1956
47 – Philadelphia 76ers 132, Atlanta Hawks 85 on Dec. 8, 1982
47 – Minneapolis Lakers 99, Milwaukee Hawks 52 on Dec. 16, 1951
46 – Los Angeles Lakers 113, Atlanta Hawks 67 on Jan. 9, 2004
44 – Toronto Raptors 128, Atlanta Hawks 84 on Dec. 3, 2016
44 – Phoenix Suns 118, Atlanta Hawks 74 on March 30, 2000
44 – Los Angeles Lakers 134, Atlanta Hawks 90 on Jan. 7, 1972
