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.
Friday Brings A Chance for a 6th Straight Hawks Win
Dec 4, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) drives against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone/Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks are on a roll, boasting a five-game winning streak that has fans buzzing. This success is largely attributed to their impressive performance on both ends of the court. The Hawks’ ability to win on the margins is evident in their assist numbers, averaging 31.6 assists per game over the last 15 games, setting a franchise record for consistency in that area. De’Andre Hunter has been exceptional, averaging 22 points per game on 73% true shooting. His contributions have been vital, especially in bench minutes alongside Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Defensive Prowess
Defensively, the Hawks have been formidable, allowing just 59% shooting at the rim, a top-five mark in the league. Clint Capela has been a standout, leading the league in offensive rebounds with an average of 4.8 per game. His dominance on the glass, alongside Onyeka Okongwu’s 3.3 offensive rebounds per game, has been crucial in creating extra scoring opportunities.
Capela and Okongwu have been instrumental in this defensive wall, while the team as a whole ranks third in the NBA in half-court first-shot defense. Their ability to contest shots and force turnovers, averaging over 10 steals per game, has been a game-changer. Dejounte Murray leads the league in steals, contributing significantly to this defensive surge.
The Hawks’ opponents have shot just 32.6% from three-point range during this streak, a marked improvement from the 39.9% in the previous 18 games. While some of this can be attributed to shooting variance, the Hawks’ defensive efforts are undeniable. Despite shooting only 35% from three themselves, the Hawks have managed to secure victories, showcasing their resilience and ability to win through defense and teamwork.
Offensive Balance and Key Players
Offensively, the Hawks have displayed remarkable balance, with seven of their nine rotation players averaging 11 points or more during the streak. Jalen Johnson has also been a revelation, averaging 28.1 points, rebounds, and 7 assists while shooting 60% from the field. His all-around performance places him among the league’s elite in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
Capela’s presence on the court has resulted in an impressive 95.6 defensive rating, highlighting his role as a defensive anchor. Trae Young, despite struggling with his shooting, continues to impact the game with his playmaking, averaging 12.12 assists per game.
The Hawks’ defensive improvements are evident, with only two of their nine regular players being below-average defenders. Trae Young has shown progress on defense, while Dyson Daniels has emerged as the best perimeter defender the team has had in a decade. This enhanced defensive personnel has been a key factor in the Hawks’ recent success.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Atlanta Hawks’ winning streak, 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’ upcoming game against the Los Angeles Lakers
- Impact of LeBron James’ potential absence on the Lakers
- Trae Young’s role and performance in the current season
- Defensive strategies and player contributions
- Insights into the Hawks’ draft prospects and future picks
Dec 1, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls a play against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center. | Christopher Creveling/Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
If JJ Redick had approached the season signalling a measure of outward self-awareness that he, a former player with no head coaching experience and cohost of a podcast with LeBron James, was now head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, things might be different. If Redick had acknowledged that very obvious, and unique to our contemporary basketball moment of athlete-driven media elephant in the room, things might be different. If Redick had at any point, when asked about his new role in scrums wherein he knows the clips and audio of his answers will be immediately and robustly aggregated, balanced out his self-aggrandizing basketball sicko-hood, or answers where he likened head coaching to nothing short of personal destiny, with something like, It’s a learning curve, really anything a hair more measured, things might be different.
Things would not look different. The Lakers made no real structural changes to their roster in the offseason, so the team playing bad basketball now is the same team that was playing bad basketball last season under Darvin Ham (Redick is one game off the 13-9 pace set by Ham last season), but things might be interpreted, or reasoned with, differently. That kind of grace, for a struggling franchise with major conflicting timelines and high-stakes notions like legacy on the line, goes a long way.
There is such a fine line in coaching between collaborative and domineering, confident and arrogant, and many first-time head NBA coaches have learned the hard way what it is to lose a team, and lose them quickly. Nate Bjorkgren went into the Pacers organization not just hot but by many accounts scorching, and was expeditiously fired at the end of his lone year in Indiana. Jason Kidd may have traded in his string of short-lived head coaching appointments (Nets, Bucks — and surprise! — Lakers) for his current and seemingly steady job with the Mavs, but there is no doubt a type afforded the leniency of multiple failures in the NBA, and it tends to be white, male and abidingly faultless.
To Redick’s credit, he has vocally shouldered the blame of the Lakers recent, bad losses. When the team fell to the Timberwolves 109-80 to start the month, Redick noted their lacklustre effort was “looking more and more like it’s not an aberration”, correcting himself from a late-November blown effort against the Nuggets he said was. This week’s impressive loss to the Heat resulted in a two minute explanation from Redick that skimmed the existential and was anchored in the heavy weight of realization.
What’s difficult from here — beyond how the Lakers improve when their offensive energy is sporadic at best and their approach to defence has been to literally stand back and watch — is how to move forward into the long season still ahead, with the base level of competency and pride necessary for a cohesive team to function.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The Atlanta Hawks’ defense has seen a significant transformation this season. A detailed breakdown of their strategies, including advanced stats and video analysis, highlights key improvements and challenges. (Peachtree Hoops)
Analysis Bogdan Bogdanovic’s role with the Atlanta Hawks has evolved significantly. This article delves into his journey, contributions, and future potential within the team. (Peachtree Hoops)
Preview The Lakers will face the Hawks at State Farm Arena at 7:30 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Biz The NBA will return to China in 2025; The first time since team executive Daryl Morey’s 2019 tweet signalled support for Hong Kong independence. (ESPN)
Feel Good Four Raptors rookies make history by playing in two games in one day. (SportsNet)
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Lakers @ Hawks
Friday, Dec. 6 | 7:30PM | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA | Get Tickets
Nuggets @ Hawks
Sunday, Dec. 8 | 6:00PM | State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA | Get Tickets
Hawks @ Knicks
Wednesday, Dec. 11 | 7:00PM | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY | Get Tickets
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Ayo Dosunmu’s Big Fantasy Basketball Night
Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) looks to pass the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Washington Wizards, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. Doncic’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, alongside Irving’s 25 points, highlighted their commanding performance. Despite a lackluster showing from P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie delivered solid contributions. The Wizards’ decision to start Marvin Bagley over Jonas Valančiūnas was puzzling, given Bagley’s inconsistent play. Bilal Coulibaly’s struggles continue, and Jordan Poole’s shooting woes persist, though his minutes remain encouraging.
In another matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a significant win over the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic’s 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists underscored his dominance, despite heavy minutes. Michael Porter Jr.'s defensive contributions were notable, with four steals and two blocks. On the Cavaliers’ side, Caris LeVert’s 21 points and Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points, six assists, and six triples were key to their victory.
The Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 30 points, five assists, and two steals. Cason Wallace’s defensive prowess was on display, contributing two steals and four blocks. The Raptors struggled without Jakob Poeltl, highlighting their lack of depth at the center position.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Hawks podcasts.
The anatomy of a five-game winning streak and Lakers preview Topics include the active, five-game winning streak for the Atlanta Hawks, the impressive level of Atlanta’s defense, potential comparisons to 2020-21, Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the current status of 2025 NBA Draft picks, and much more.
Impressive two-way effort leads Hawks over Bucks for 5th straight win Topics include a strong defensive performance for the Hawks against the Bucks, De’Andre Hunter’s stellar recent play, Bogdan Bogdanovic looking like Bogdan Bogdanovic, Clint Capela’s rebounding, Trae Young’s shooting struggles, questionable officiating, and much more.
Hawks hold serve against Pelicans for 4th consecutive win The episode focuses on Monday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans, including Atlanta’s perimeter shooting and ball security struggles, the return of Dejounte Murray, strong defense, Dyson Daniels being Dyson Daniels, a stellar Clint Capela game, and a fourth straight victory.
