In Tuesday’s home loss to the Boston Celtics, the Hawks had only two true frontcourt players available: Damian Jones and John Collins. After that, 6-foot-7 shooting guard Kevin Huerter was the team’s next tallest active player.
With the depleted line-up, coach Lloyd Pierce decided to experiment on defense, switching to zone in the second quarter and using it periodically to try and disrupt the Celtics’ offensive rhythm. Although the Hawks gave up a whopping 66 points in the paint, Pierce felt that his team executed the new defense well.
“I thought we did a good job,” Pierce said. “We gave up a three on the first play, but just like anything, there was inappropriate help on that play. But the second possession was pretty good.”
The Hawks first showed the zone scheme in the second quarter, beginning in a 1-2-2 full-court press, before dropping back to a similar half-court look. Entering the game, Pierce was unsure if the team would use the new system, but as the game unfolded, he decided to give it a try.
“We worked on it just thinking that we may have to use it. It’s one of those deals you want to try and use it in the first half and see if you can get some chemistry and coordination doing it.” Pierce said. “I didn’t know what we were going to look like in the second half in terms of fouls and who we would need to play.”
All-Star guard Trae Young also thought the team executed well in the zone, but recognized the need for more practice, especially if the team plans to use the defense moving forward.
“I thought it was good. I thought it slowed down the game a little bit for them,” Young said. “It made them take a couple tougher shots, but we got to work on it. We only practiced that for like 10 minutes. We just threw that in today and tried it.”
Even without ample practice time on the new scheme, the full-court pressure and half-court zone changed the Celtics’ pace and led to costly errors. After breaking the press, Boston often shot a quick, ill-advised 3-pointer or made an errant pass, which resulted in 16 turnovers for Brad Stevens’ club.
Jeff Teague, who started at guard, benefited from the full-court trap, coming up with four steals and scoring 18 points.
“Jeff was great in the passing lanes and on the ball,” Pierce said. “He was able to get those deflections and get some easy offensive opportunities.”
The Hawks’ interior defense has struggled this season, ranking 29th in the NBA in opposing points in the paint per game. The lack of depth in the frontcourt largely is to blame, especially with earlier injuries to center Alex Len and forward Jabari Parker. On Monday, the team also was without rookies De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish who have been key pieces for the Hawks’ defense.
Moving forward, it’s unclear when players such as Reddish and Hunter will be able to return, leaving Pierce with difficult decisions to make for his team’s defense. Even with the two first-year players back, the Hawks won’t be able to match-up in man defense against larger line-ups.
The Hawks face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, and star center Karl-Anthony Towns will provide a challenge for the team’s thin frontcourt. While the zone is a work-in progress and, perhaps, a temporary fix, the group believes that the defense could be an important adjustment in the future.
“I think it worked for a little bit,” Young said. “They got some cuts into the lane. … But it’s something new, and I think it could help us down the road a little bit.”
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