Clutch: Hawks needed to be better defensively with game on line

They allowed 1.3 second-chance points per game and 3.8 points in the paint in those moments.

With the difficulty of scoring at the end of the games high, the Hawks understand that their defense will have to power their offense.

“I think having clarity down the stretch, and the biggest thing is getting stops,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said Thursday. “It’s hard to score late in an NBA game. You have to make shots (and) sometimes those shots are more contested. The way to score is to get stops and to score in transition. One thing that will be important for us is there’s a mindset where you can continue to attack, and there’s also a mindset where not one player has to do that.”

The Hawks struggled defensively last season in transition, ranking in the 29th percentile in all transition plays, according to Cleaning the Glass. Their opponents on average scored 134 points per 100 transition plays, with 68% of their opponents transition plays coming off steals.

They did not fare much better off live rebounds, with Hawks opponents averaging 129.4 points.

So, as they get ready to head into the new season, they’ll look to take away as many opportunities from their opponents.

“The times when I think teams are good in clutch, often times those are situations where defense does something to take something away, and then other people have to step up and make plays,” Snyder said. “And both the person with the ball, that player, understanding that and having trust in the teammate, and then the teammate having the confidence and the freedom to take those shots. You’re not always going to make them, but again, you go get a stop, that changes it.”

The Hawks looked to bolster their defense over the offseason, with the additions of Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. in the Dejounte Murray trade. They also drafted Zaccharie Risacher and added more length and size to their roster.

In their first exhibition game against the Pacers, they Hawks fell behind early and they still have room for improvement on the defensive end. They allowed the Pacers to knock down 54.7% of their overall shots, while limiting their efficiency from 3-point range.

With the starters playing just two and a half quarters, the game came down to the reserves, who held the Pacers bench players to 3 of 6 shooting from the floor.

“There was a point in the second half when we stopped running back for the most part,” Snyder said after Tuesday’s game. “I thought we were focused on getting back in transition. So just understanding how much our offense and defense are interconnected.

“But just happy to see there was a real effort by our guys to do some of the things that we’ve been trying to do, and it’s the first time we’ve had a chance to do that in the game. So I think their commitment to that will get stronger and stronger, and the more we do it, the easier it gets. Over time it becomes, hopefully, more of who you are.”

The Hawks have three more exhibition games and they’ve continued to attack practice with some extra days between Tuesday’s game and next Monday’s against the 76ers.

As they navigate through their exhibition games, the Hawks will continue to develop their chemistry and figure out how to collectively improve in clutch situations. The Hawks have an experienced floor general in Trae Young who could impose his will on the game or initiate a number of different actions.

The team also added several capable ballhandlers who could also help to get the team into their sets. But ultimately, the Hawks’ success in close late-game scenarios will come down to whether or not they can generate enough defensive stops.

“I think the biggest we can talk about all that, I think you know people, coaches included and players are interested in that but it could come down to something really simple as just stopping the other team. And that’s where your focus has to be on both of those things obviously,” Snyder said.