You can’t blame it all on the injury to Thabo Sefolosha. However, there is no denying the Hawks’ defense has taken a step back in recent weeks.
The Hawks are allowing three more points per game (99.0) in the 10 games since Sefolosha suffered a severe right calf strain less than a minute into a contest against the Trail Blazers on Jan. 30. They allowed more than 100 points in four of those games without the key reserve wing defender.
Fixing the defensive issues has been the focus of the coaching staff and players as the Hawks head into the final 26 games of the regular season. The playoffs are on the horizon with the Hawks’ magic number to clinch a postseason berth at six games. More importantly, there is the No. 1 seed at stake as the Hawks lead the Eastern Conference by seven games over the Raptors.
As good as the pace-and-space offense was when the Hawks were winning 33 of 35 games, including the franchise-record 19-game win streak, defense was the staple of success. Returning to that form will be a key to the Hawks’ postseason run.
When asked Tuesday whether a three-point increase in points allowed without Sefolosha was a big deal, coach Mike Budenholzer was quick to answer the affirmative.
“It’s not just Thabo being out,” Budenholzer said. “Obviously, he’s a really good defender who does a lot of things for us. I don’t think, overall, our defense has been as good as it needs to be or maybe where it was for a stretch there. It’s one of the things we are talking about and thinking about.”
The Hawks are 4-4 in the eight games since the end of the 19-game win streak. They remain one of three teams, including the Warriors and Rockets, not to have lost three straight games this season. Despite the recent defensive lapses, the Hawks are tied for third in the NBA for fewest points allowed at 96.8 points per game.
Paul Millsap said the Hawks must get back to trusting each other.
“If you are going to point fingers you have to point them at everybody,” Millsap said. “There definitely hasn’t been the trust that has been there. We are just getting that back, learning to trust each other again. That is what practice is for. We are going back over our habits and trusting each other.”
Sefolosha’s original diagnosis called for him to miss 6-8 weeks. That would put a target return date of mid-March, between the 13th and 27th of the month. Budenholzer said there have been no setbacks and Sefolosha remains on schedule. He has begun light court work and no longer walks with a pronounced limp. The guard/forward accompanied the team to Milwaukee this week.
“Thabo is a great defender,” Kyle Korver said. “He’s been a great defender for a lot of years. That’s why he was brought in here. He can do things on offense too. He has a really good feel for the game. We definitely miss him defensively. I think Kent (Bazemore) has come in and he’s getting better and better. He has a lot of the same tools as Thabo has. He’s probably not as seasoned maybe but he’s got a ton of upside. Our philosophy doesn’t change at all.”
Bazemore has been the primary reserve behind defensive stopper DeMarre Carroll in Sefolosha’s absence. Millsap said defense has been a big part of recent video sessions and practices.
The Hawks blew an 18-point lead in a loss at the Celtics before the All-Star break. They returned with a miserable performance in a 25-point loss to the Raptors. The Hawks rebounded with three solid defensive quarters against the Bucks on Sunday. However, they lost a 16-point advantage with sloppy play in the third quarter. Budenholzer said he will continue to seek perfection on the defensive end of the court.
“It’s not any one thing,’ Budenholzer said of the lapses. “It’s a lot of things in general that are not as good as when we were playing good defense.”
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