{"id":164572,"date":"2025-10-28T14:53:47","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:53:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=164572"},"modified":"2025-10-28T14:53:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:53:47","slug":"the-hawks-are-surprisingly-struggling-but-heres-the-silver-lining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/28\/the-hawks-are-surprisingly-struggling-but-heres-the-silver-lining\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hawks Are Surprisingly Struggling, But Here’s The Silver Lining"},"content":{"rendered":"

ATLANTA \u2014 The Hawks<\/a> have stumbled out of the gate. A 1\u20133 start has cast a shadow over what was one of the most optimistic offseasons in recent memory. This was supposed to be the season Atlanta reclaimed its place among the Eastern Conference elite. Led by front office head Onsi Saleh, the Hawks made moves that inspired genuine belief. They added proven shooters and versatile defenders to complement their star backcourt. Yet, early struggles for the Hawks on both ends have derailed that optimism. Not even their 2020\u201321 Eastern Conference Finals run generated this much preseason respect \u2014 and now, that respect feels premature.<\/p>\n

The Hawks Are Surprisingly Struggling, But Here’s The Silver Lining<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Shooting Woes Define Early Offensive Struggles<\/h3>\n
\"Atlanta
Oct 25, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) dribbles defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The offense, expected to be elite, has sputtered. The Hawks currently rank 24th<\/a> in offensive rating, a shocking development given their offseason firepower. Luke Kennard<\/a>, Kristaps Porzi\u0146\u0123is,<\/a> and Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/a> were brought in to stretch the floor. All three have strong shooting pedigrees \u2014 yet Atlanta sits 21st in three-point percentage.<\/p>\n

Missing Porzi\u0146\u0123is and second–year Zaccharie Risacher<\/a> for two games certainly hurt, but it\u2019s not the sole explanation. The Hawks are simply not shooting nor making enough three-pointers. In today\u2019s NBA, poor three-point shooting plus poor volume is a death sentence, even in the ‘weaker’ East.<\/p>\n

Still, there are reasons for optimism. Poor shooting often regresses to the mean, and this roster has too many capable shooters to stay cold for long.<\/p>\n

Dyson Daniels\u2019 Slow Start Hides His True Value<\/h3>\n

Dyson Daniels<\/a> has struggled to replicate his breakout campaign. The reigning Most Improved Player is averaging just 5.0 points, 2.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. His shooting has fallen off a cliff \u2014 30.4% on two-point attempts.<\/p>\n

But raw numbers don\u2019t tell the full story. Daniels still ranks in the 65th<\/a> percentile in overall impact. The Hawks are outscoring opponents by 5.3 points per 100 possessions when he\u2019s on the floor. That\u2019s 61st percentile impact \u2014 modest, but encouraging.<\/p>\n

Even through his offensive slump, Daniels\u2019 defense, rebounding, and hustle have provided stability. When his shot returns, his all-around game will once again elevate Atlanta\u2019s ceiling. His shooting around the rim and in the paint has noticeably dipped but there’s optimism that it will get better<\/a> sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n

Defense Should Improve With Health<\/h3>\n

The Hawks\u2019 defense has been the bigger concern. They rank 25th<\/a> in defensive rating and have allowed opponents to feast in the paint. Onyeka Okongwu<\/a> has struggled in recent years as a rim protector, and his 6\u20199\u201d frame often leaves him mismatched against modern supersized centers.<\/p>\n

This is why Porzi\u0146\u0123is\u2019 presence is crucial. Unlike in Boston, where he was a luxury piece, he\u2019s a defensive necessity in Atlanta. His shot-blocking and floor spacing make him the key to balancing both ends of the floor. Once he\u2019s fully healthy, the Hawks should see immediate defensive improvement. The team possesses so much length with the combo of Daniels, Risacher and Johnson.<\/p>\n

An Easier Schedule Offers Hope<\/h3>\n

The schedule softens over the next two weeks. Atlanta faces the Nets<\/a> and an undermanned Pacers squad, followed by the Cavaliers<\/a> without Darius Garland<\/a>, the struggling Magic<\/a>, and the injury-ravaged<\/a> Lakers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That stretch offers a golden chance to get back to .500 and rebuild confidence. If the Hawks can rediscover their rhythm, the optimism from the offseason might not be misplaced after all.<\/p>\n

The Hawks are struggling but there are silver linings. The Hawks just need time, health, and a few made threes to remind the league why expectations were high in the first place.<\/p>\n

Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ATLANTA \u2014 The Hawks have stumbled out of the gate. A 1\u20133 start has cast a shadow over what was one of the most optimistic offseasons in recent memory. This was supposed to be the season Atlanta reclaimed its place among the Eastern Conference elite. Led by front office head Onsi Saleh, the Hawks made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":164003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,4,1608,3],"tags":[50244,2951,4605,138,2830],"class_list":["post-164572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-hawks","category-basketball","category-news","tag-2025-26-nba-season","tag-defense","tag-dyson-daniels","tag-kristaps-porzingis","tag-onyeka-okongwu"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164572"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164590,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164572\/revisions\/164590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}