Brad Rowland here, the host of the daily Locked On Hawks podcast, with your daily Locked On Hawks newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Hawks and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
It’s Hard To Win When You Don’t Make Shots
November 20, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (13) passes the basketball against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) and guard Gary Payton II (0) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images|Kyle Terada/Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks faced a challenging night on the road against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, culminating in a 120-97 defeat. The primary issue was clear: the Hawks simply couldn’t find their rhythm offensively or get shots to fall. Despite being underdogs, the team had opportunities but failed to capitalize due to poor shooting.
Offensive Woes
The Hawks’ shooting performance was dismal across the board. They managed only 39% on two-point attempts, significantly below the league average of over 50%. From beyond the arc, they hit just 26%, making 12 of 46 attempts. Even at the free-throw line, they struggled, converting only 15 of 24 shots. This inefficiency was a major factor in their inability to close the gap against the Warriors.
Despite the poor shooting, the Hawks did manage to create more opportunities than their opponents. They had nine more shooting possessions, thanks to 22 offensive rebounds and a relatively low turnover rate. However, these advantages were nullified by their inability to convert shots, leading to a significant loss margin.
Defensive Effort
Defensively, the Hawks showed promise. They held the Warriors to a 105 defensive rating during the competitive portion of the game, which is considered excellent. The Warriors, known for their offensive prowess, were kept below their averages in both three-point attempts and accuracy. The Hawks’ defense was particularly effective in limiting the Warriors’ free-throw attempts and corner threes, areas where they have struggled in the past.
Quin Snyder, the Hawks’ head coach, noted that the team’s defensive performance was commendable, especially given the circumstances. The Warriors’ style of play, characterized by fluid ball and player movement, posed a significant challenge. Yet, the Hawks managed to keep them in check for most of the game.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Hawks’ performance and strategies, tune into the Locked On Hawks podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Hawks Podcast:
- Analysis of the Hawks’ defensive strategies against the Warriors
- Quinn Snyder’s post-game comments and insights
- The impact of player rotations and health on team performance
- Upcoming matchups and what to expect from the Hawks
A refrain I’ve increasingly heard from casuals, like the talking heads on the NBA’s biggest broadcast partners, is that the league is too homogenous these days, that every team just goes out there and chucks up threes. Every game is the same.
Leaving aside the shortsightedness of famous, influential media analysts dumping on their own product, it’s a common enough complaint that I felt an urge to investigate. My eyeballs tell me the league’s never been more diverse and fun, thanks largely to the absurd wealth of stars today with skill sets as bespoke as their draft night suits. Jokic’s Nuggets look nothing like Tatum’s Celtics look nothing like Brunson’s Knicks, and to suggest otherwise is willful ignorance.
As I wrote about for Basketball Poetry yesterday, the current top five offenses are Boston, Cleveland, New York, the Lakers, and Dallas. Those five teams rank first, 14th, 17th, 24th, and 21st, respectively, in share of shots that are triples. You certainly don’t need to launch a million threes relative to your peers to score the basketball successfully.
Of course, that’s a rather superficial analysis. Regardless of rank, what if the absolute numbers are all getting closer together? That would represent a growing sameness.
I looked at shot data from this season, a decade ago, and 20 years ago to see how much the share of three-pointers had changed.
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Home and Away
Analysis Dyson Daniels is making a notable impact for the Hawks. Dive into a detailed breakdown of his performance with advanced stats and video analysis. (Peachtree Hoops)
Ranking Speaking of Daniels…where does the ranking of him, Jalen Johnson, and Zaccharie Risacher fit in the league’s “Big Threes?” (ESPN)
Stat Owen Phillips of The F5 looks at how often centers defend guards, how often perimeter players are involuntarily guarded by centers (aka the Tony Allen effect), and much more in his analytical newsletter.
Analysis Jared Dubin of Last Night, In Basketball discusses something related: what kind of players are guarding point guards these days?
Must Read Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic talks about the NBA’s increasing difficulty for defensive-minded, older players, but the real story is that Draymond Green claims to have started lifting just four years ago.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
The Randomness Of Fantasy Basketball On A Wednesday In The NBA
Nov 20, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images|Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Top Five Fantasy Takeaways from Wednesday’s Games
1. Paul George’s Knee Injury Concerns
Paul George’s knee hyperextension during the 76ers vs. Grizzlies game is a significant concern for fantasy managers. While initial reports suggest no structural damage, his availability in the coming games is uncertain. This situation could open up opportunities for other players on the 76ers to step up, making it crucial to monitor updates closely.
2. Unpredictable Pelicans vs. Cavaliers Game
The Pelicans vs. Cavaliers matchup was a bizarre affair, with unexpected lineups and performances. Elfrid Payton started for the Pelicans, and Jaylon Tyson shone for the Cavs, but these anomalies are unlikely to have long-term fantasy implications. Managers should view this game as an outlier and avoid making hasty roster changes based on these performances.
3. Pacers’ Struggles and Tyrese Haliburton’s Slump
The Pacers are facing challenges, particularly with Tyrese Haliburton’s shooting woes. His road performance has been notably poor, possibly due to lingering back issues. Despite this, Haliburton’s track record suggests a turnaround is likely, making him a prime buy-low candidate for managers willing to take a risk on his recovery.
Click the button below to see how Norman Powell’s injury could open up opportunities for the Clippers, and a top 50 player returns to action.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Hawks podcasts.
Shooting nightmare sends Hawks to loss in San Francisco The show focuses on Wednesday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Golden State Warriors, including Atlanta’s clean injury report, a shooting nightmare for the Hawks, encouraging defense, a total collapse at the end of the first half, and much more.
Hawks bounce back with roller coaster win over Kings The show focuses on Monday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings, including the surprise absence of Jalen Johnson, the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kobe Bufkin, a lights-out start, a three-point shooting barrage by Sacramento, De’Andre Hunter’s strong play, Trae Young’s passing brilliance, Dyson Daniels sealing the game, and much more.
Third quarter disaster, turnover issues doom Hawks in road loss to Blazers The show focuses on Sunday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, headlined by a disastrous third quarter and widespread turnover issues for Atlanta. Topics also include rough late-game execution, defensive rebounding problems, the return of Vit Krejci, and much more.
