The Hawks are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA.
Let that sink in for a little while.
Does one player — namely Dwight Howard — make all the difference? Maybe. Maybe not. But early in the season, the Hawks have done a complete turnaround in the statistical area that has long been an issue for the team.
The Hawks rank seventh in the NBA in rebounding, with a 46.1 per game average. Last season, they finished 24th, with a 42.1 per game average.
“One person helps a lot,” forward Paul Millsap said Friday. “Dwight is definitely one of the top rebounders. But our strategy and scheme is we are going to the glass a little more. We have the freedom to get to the glass more. I think that helps out.”
Much of the Hawks’ new-found rebounding has been on offense. They rank fifth in the league, with 11.8 offensive rebounds per game. Last season, they were the league’s worst team, with 8.3 per game.
Howard ranks fourth in the NBA, at 12.6 rebounds per game, but first in offensive rebounds, with 4.9 per game. That has made a significant difference.
“The effort by everybody to rebound has been good, but particularly (in) their effort on the offensive boards there is a real noticeable difference,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s not just Dwight. (Mike Muscala), Kris Humphries and Paul, that collection of bigs is making a conscientious effort to be better on the offensive boards. It’s been a real positive for us.
“Transition defense is a real priority, and our guards have to be great in transition, but we’ve been a better rebounding team this year. It’s early. We’ve got to keep it up.”
The Hawks (6-2) have had at least one double-digit rebounder in every game this season. Howard has done it seven times. The one game he did not do it, Humphries did. Millsap has three double-digit rebound games this season.
Last season, the Hawks played only 43 games with at least one double-digit rebounder. Millsap had 33 double-digit games. The Hawks also had Al Horford (18), Kent Bazemore (4), Mike Scott (1) and Thabo Sefolosha (1) with such performances.
Early this season, the Hawks have outrebounded opponents 46.1-39.5. Last season, they were outrebounded by a 46.5-42.1 margin.
“At the end of the day, and I think we showed last year, that our defense can be really good, but if you don’t come down with the rebound it will hurt you,” Millsap said. “It will hurt you in the long run. Being a good defensive team and being able to secure the rebound when you get a defensive stop is big.”
It’s not just the Hawks’ bigs who have helped with rebounds. Budenholzer has always put an emphasis that guards also have to be involved. He said Friday that he is pleased with the play of the guards, especially when they are available after the bigs protect the rim or attempt to block shots.
In their eight games, the Hawks have out-rebounded the opposition in seven games. Only the Lakers in their second-half comeback win out-rebounded the Hawks.
“In general we are doing a better job of keeping bodies on (players) and keeping guys in front of us more,” Budenholzer said.
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