The Hawks offense has stalled.
Look no further than the last five games. During the span, the Hawks have failed to score more than 96 points in any game and compiled a 1-4 record. In the first 11 games of the season, the Hawks scored more than 100 points nine times and compiled a 9-2 record.
The recent struggle was epitomized by Friday’s 95-68 loss at the Jazz. It was a defeat that had much of the Hawks’ postgame locker room in stunned silence.
“At some point you might what to at least, maybe, try to suck them in and find some guys for open shots – and then you’ve got to make them,” a clearly frustrated coach Mike Budenholzer said after the latest loss.
The details are ugly for the 10-6 Hawks in the following comparison:
-Over the past five games, the Hawks are averaging 89.6 points, a 41.2 field goal percentage and a 29.3 3-point field goal percentage per game.
-Over the first 11 games, the Hawks averaged 107.8 points, a 48.0 field goal percentage and a 37.5 3-point field goal percentage.
At one point this season, the Hawks had the No. 2 offense in the NBA. Today, they 21st in offensive efficiency (101.2), points per game (102.1) and field goal percentage (33.7). They are seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (45.9).
There is some good news. The Hawks defense is No. 1 in the league in defensive efficiency (96.5).
The Hawks are clearly having issues on offense. The pace and space system predicating on ball movement has bogged down. Turnovers have been an issue all season.
“He has an outstanding playbook for us,” Kent Bazemore said of Budenholzer Friday. “He’s done a tremendous job of tailoring our sets to our players’ strengths. We have to execute. We got away with it early in the year. As teams start to lock in on us and turn up the pressure, we’ve struggled. We’ve just got to continue to trust coach and buy into what he wants us to do.”
Over the past five games, each Hawks starting is scoring less than his season average with the exception of Kyle Korver, who missed one game for rest. Paul Millsap is averaging 16 points (16.6 season average), Dwight Howard is averaging 12.6 points (14.1), Dennis Schroder is averaging 10.2 points (14.3), Korver is averaging 9.8 points (9.4) and Bazemore is averaging 8.6 points (10.6).
The Hawks continue a five-game road trip, the longest of at the season, by playing the Lakers Sunday. The trip continues Monday at the Warriors and ends Wednesday at the Suns.
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