Mike Budenholzer was quick to correct an inquiry about the Hawks’ 19 turnovers in a loss at the Timberwolves on Monday night.
That number was not “uncharacteristic.”
Maybe last season. Not this season.
The Hawks average 16.1 turnovers per game, third worst in the NBA. Opponents average 18.7 points off those errors, tied for third worst in the league.
“Turnovers have been one of our Achilles heels,” Budenholzer said following the Hawks’ 104-90 loss to the Timberwolves that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate. “I would not classify it as uncharacteristic. We need to be better with the ball. It’s going to help us be more efficient offensively.”
The Hawks (15-16) surrendered 22 points off those 19 turnovers. They allowed 16 points off 12 turnovers combined in the decisive second and third quarters, when the Timberwolves clinched the game by outscoring the Hawks 66-40. Nine players had at least one turnover and Malcolm Delaney (four), Dwight Howard (three), Kent Bazemore (three), Paul Millsap (two), Dennis Schroder (two) and DeAndre Bembry (two) all had multiple miscues.
The Hawks have played only two games with less than 10 turnovers this season. They have at least 15 turnovers in 20 games and at least 20 turnovers in four games.
Last season, the Hawks averaged 15.0 turnovers, tied for ninth in the league. Opponents scored 16.0 points off those turnovers, 17th in the league. Some of the Hawks’ turnovers come in the flow of the fast-paced offense. However, far too many are careless miscues that led to easy baskets.
The Hawks have issues on offense and defense this season. So there is certainly more than one reason for their erratic play and below .500 record.
Turnovers are a big factor in the Hawks’ struggling offense. They rank 22nd in the NBA in scoring, at 101.8 points per game, and 23rd in offensive rating, 101.9. The offensive-rating numbers have decreased from 103.0 last season and 106.2 in the 60-win season of 2014-15.
“We have to go back to the lab,” Millsap said after the loss to the Timberwolves.
The Hawks open a three-game homestand Wednesday against the Knicks, followed by the Pistons and Spurs. The Knicks and Pistons already own victories over the Hawks this season. Despite the Hawks’ recent struggles — they have won back-to-back games only once since the middle of November — they stand sixth in the Eastern Conference. They are still just three games out of the third spot. The Knicks are fifth in the conference standings, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Hawks.
The Hawks have shown no signs of consistency or that they are capable of putting together a winning streak. Limiting their turnovers would be a good place to start get the offense back on track.
“For sure, it’s frustrating,” Schroder said. “We have to find a way. It’s still early, but we need to figure it out now. We can’t keep talking about it. We have to change something and we don’t. We have to be on the same page.”
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