HAWKS BY THE MONTH
A look at how the Hawks’ monthly records compare over the past two seasons:
2014-15
Oct./Nov.: 9-6
Dec.: 14-2
Jan.: 17-0
Feb.: 7-4
March: 9-7
April: 4-3
2015-16
Oct./Nov.: 12-8
Dec.: 9-5
Jan.: 6-9
What happened to the Hawks, you ask?
After a 60-win season and a berth in the 2015 Eastern Conference finals, Atlanta has followed that historic campaign with maddening inconsistency that has coaches, players and fans scratching their heads in search for the answer.
The problem, one the Hawks are still trying to solve, began in the playoffs last season. Opposing teams adjusted to their pace-and-space offense. It was evident in the top-seeded Hawks’ hard-fought series wins over the Nets and Wizards before being swept by the Cavaliers in the finals.
Now, it’s the Hawks who must adjust. And it’s been difficult.
“I think last year we were kind of new,” guard Kyle Korver said. “The Spurs had (run this offense) but, especially in the Eastern Conference, it was kind of fresh. It kind of took you by surprise, especially in the beginning once we started figuring it out and it really clicked for us.
“But this is the NBA and people figure stuff out. When we got to the playoffs, teams had already made the adjustments. In the playoffs, we played with teams making the adjustments. We still won some games. We didn’t play our best. Teams saw what happened to us in the playoffs and they’ve been doing the same thing this year, taking certain things away, making us settle for certain shots. That’s true. There has been some carry-over from how people guarded us in the playoff and what we are doing now.”
Look no further than the month of January as a case study.
January 2015: The Hawks went 17-0 as part of a 19-game win streak. They finished the month with a 40-8 record (.833) and lead the Eastern Conference by seven games and the Southeast Division by nine games. The entire starting five was named the NBA Players of the Month and Mike Budenholzer was named Coach of the Month.
January 2016: The Hawks went 6-9, including six losses to sub-.500 teams. They finished the month with a 27-22 record (.551) and were 8-1/2 games back in the conference and 1/2-game back in the division. Their 22 losses already match the total of all of last season.
Last season, the Hawks had three losses by 20 points or more. This season they already have four such defeats. Last season, their biggest losing streak was three games, done twice, including the final three games of the season while resting players with their playoff position set. This season, they already have three three-game losing skids.
“Right now we are just trying to figure it out,” center Al Horford said. “As players, we need to take ownership. When we are out there, we are trying. We are trying to figure things out. We are making adjustments as a team. Teams are playing us differently. They’ve kind of figured out stuff we like to do. It’s up to us to start finding new ways to be efficient. Some nights it works. Recently, we’ve been through a slump.”
The Hawks hope to leave January behind as the opened February with a decisive 112-97 win over the Mavericks, ending one of those three-game skids.
Budenholzer has repeatedly said that the defense has trended in the right direction. If the offense is to improve, the Hawks need to learn how to counter-punch.
One issue has been poor 3-point shooting, a staple of the system. The Hawks are getting good shots. They lead the NBA, by a considerable margin, in the number of wide-open 3-point attempts. According to league statistics, 19.2 percent of their long-range shots have come with the nearest defender six or more feet away. They average four more of those attempts than the next closest team. The problem is, they make just 34.1 percent of those shots, the lowest percentage in the league.
“The 3-point shot is something we believe in strongly,” said Budenholzer, who added he has not considered changes to his lineup to address the offensive woes. “We believe in our players. I think if we continue to move the ball and screen and play with pace and we are getting good open 3’s, that’s something we believe in and we want to continue to do.
“If we start making them at a better percentage and are more efficient offensively, then everything is going to look and feel different. It is most concerning when you feel like you are not getting open shots, either player-wise or scheme-wise.”
Monday’s win over the Mavericks was just the second in the past seven games. February may be kinder to the Hawks, who started the season with one of the busiest schedules in the league. They have just three road games, starting Wednesday at the 76ers. They are off from Feb. 11-18 for the All-Star break. They end the month with five home games over the final 11 days.
“We can play better,” Korver said. “I have shot the ball really poorly. As a team, I don’t think we’ve shot our best either. Maybe we’re not wide open all the time, but we are getting good looks. I think it’s been a tough couple weeks offensively for us but I really think things are starting to turn.”
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