Atlanta Hawks: Slight Defensive Concerns?

The Atlanta Hawks are allowing 100.3 points per game and are 15th in team defensive rating at 103.4. After finishing 6th in DRTG last year, are we concerned?

For as much as the Atlanta Hawks’ staff and players say they are a defense-first team, it’s obvious that the game comes more naturally to them on the offensive side of the ball. Outside of Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha, the rest of the Atlanta Hawks’ offensive skill sets are superior to their defense at equilibrium.

Because of that natural disposition to being a more offensively skilled team, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer realizes this team is only as good as its defensive tenacity will allow it. While rebounding on both ends remains an Achilles’ Heel in this team’s construction (every team has one), Coach Bud has elevated his players to embrace becoming a swarming defense.

-= Related: Atlanta Hawks Fall in Boston Without Bud, 106-93 =-

Last year, the Atlanta Hawks certainly became that, finishing 6th in Team Defensive Rating at 103.1, allowing 97.1 points per game, 5th best in all the NBA. Part of the reason Atlanta did so well in 2014-15 was that their defense was statistically an equal to their high-octane offense. Finishing in the Top 10 in both ORTG and DRTG were proof that this was championship caliber team the year before.

More from Atlanta Hawks

• Atlanta Hawks Sweep Back-to-Back Games Over Weekend
• Atlanta Hawks Look to Continue Momentum Tonight Against Portland
• Joel Embiid Leads Sixers Over Hawks On Monday Night
• Atlanta Hawks: John Collins Playing His Best Basketball Of Season
• Atlanta Hawks Win Second Straight Against the Dallas Mavericks

While it is still incredibly early in the 2015-16 NBA Season, the Hawks, though 8-3 on the year, have dropped in both ORTG and DRTG in mid-November from their team totals the year before. The Offensive Rating is slightly worse, but still a fantastic 8th in the NBA at 106.2, scoring 103.4 points per game, 5th best in basketball. However, the Atlanta Hawks are 15th in the NBA in both DRTG (103.4) and points allowed per game (100.6). What’s causing the drop off?

Though NBA Advanced statistics are still fairly new, I look at these two totals as a barometer for defensive success: If a team holds an opponent to 95 points or less in a game, I consider that a great defensive game. For an individual player, I love to see players with DRTGs less than 100, but 105 feels like an accurate turning point in defensive perception, from good to bad.

Since Atlanta has played more games (11) than any other team at this point in the 2015-16 NBA Season, it’s understandable for the team to feel tired. Playing more minutes than any other team would have an adverse effect on defensive tenacity in the onset. So where does that come to light most easily?: perimeter defense.

Live Feed

Betsided

Of course the Atlanta Hawks have allowed more three-pointers (104) and three-point attempts (305) than anybody, given the amount of games they’ve played. However, the percentage of opponents’ threes that are falling in seems like a direct correlation to Atlanta’s declining to average defense.

In 2014-15, the Atlanta Hawks allowed more three-point attempts than any other team in the NBA with 2,112 and finished 29th in three pointers made by their opponents with 720. However, Atlanta finished 7th in the NBA in defensive three-point shooting percentage with opponents making 34.1% of their outside shots.

So far in 2015-16, the percentage of threes opponents drain on the Atlanta Hawks are the same at 34.1%. Unfortunately, the league has gotten better at perimeter defense and Atlanta sits at 17th in defending the perimeter. However, I would say that this area should improve for the Atlanta Hawks when the schedule becomes a little less taxing and the many new players on the roster are able to get fully indoctrinated in Coach Bud’s system.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: Most Versatile Front Court in NBA?

As long as no serious injury comes about in these grueling first two months on the 2015-16 NBA Season, the Atlanta Hawks should come around and get back to being a Top 10 defensive team. The Hawks will have to bring it on Sunday when they take on Quin Snyder’s upstart defensive juggernaut Utah Jazz team. Tipoff is at 6 PM ET at Philips Arena and will air on Fox Sports Southeast. Let’s Go Hawks!