Shot-Blocker, Safety Net
As previously mentioned, it’s the Hawks’ defense that really needs to be fixed up. All in all, they rank 24th in opponent’s points per game (118.3) and 23rd in opponent’s field goal percentage (.477). They also rank 24th in opponent’s 2-point percentage (.561), 23rd in opponent’s 2-point field goal conversions per game (29.8) and 19th in opponent’s free-throws per game.
This is largely a personnel issue.
Trae Young (traded), Vit Krejci (traded), and Luke Kennard‘s defense hadn’t or haven’t been up to snuff, in particular. Newcomers Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum have held up better than expected but still have flaws. For every player in this group, aside from Okongwu, the issue is either a lack of lateral agility or recovery speed. Okongwu’s weaknesses are also physical, as he looks more like a small forward than center trying to protect the paint. However, his primary issue has been effort, as he consistently fails to complete closeouts or gives up on plays.
AD To The Rescue
Snyder can’t be completely excused. The Hawks look too out-of-sorts too frequently when forced to rotate. Though having personnel with better physical tools or defensive instincts would help, it’s his job to make sure the players he does have aren’t out there chasing ghosts.
Davis can’t solve all of these problems by himself. However, respected and dedicated rim-protectors often give defenses a safety net. If one of his teammates get beat off the dribble, their man will run into a 6-foot-11 big with 1,848 career blocks, the second-most among active players.
