Shrink the rotation slightly
When things are not going well for any team in the league, sometimes going back to the basics is the way to go, at least until the team gets back on the right track. The Hawks basically have the same team from a season ago, but they did add guys like Delon Wright, Gorgui Dieng, and some rookies in Jalen Johnson and Sharife Cooper.
As a result, the Hawks rotation has been about 11.7 players per game this season, which is a little high and could be messing with their tempo a little bit. With 12 players seeing double-digit minutes this season, maybe the best thing the Hawks can do right now is just sticking with the guys they know they can get production from.
Playing to their personnel and not their system/fit is essential in the NBA today, especially with all 30 teams having arguably the most balance they have had in years. There is no reason to panic in Atlanta right now, but cutting down in their rotations and playing 1-2 fewer guys per night could wind up fixing a lot of their problems in terms of getting into a rhythm on the court.
Their long postseason run last season could also have a negative effect on this team to begin the year, especially since the playoffs and the “underdog” title gave the Hawks a lot of motivation last year.
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“It’s (the) regular season,” Young said earlier this season. “I’m not going to lie, it’s a lot more boring than the playoffs. You got to find that motivation to play like (it is) the playoffs.”
Atlanta is still a young team and six of their main rotation players have 4 or fewer years of experience in this league. There are always going to be growing pains over the course of a season and for the Hawks, hopefully, their slow start means that they will finish the season strong.
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Trae Young is a generational talent, John Collins is a really great secondary scorer and with plenty of shooting depth in Bogdanovic, Gallinari, Huerter, Hunter, and others, expect this Atlanta Hawks team to turn things on within the next few weeks.
