The Hawks want to be a fast-pace team.
They rank second in the NBA behind the Bulls in pace, which counts the number of possessions that could occur in a typical 48-minute game. To play with a faster pace, the Hawks have looked to pass more. Now that the Hawks have a healthy rotation again and their defense has begun to click more, that goal could translate to more wins.
The Hawks have won their past four games. Two of those wins came against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers. The remaining two came against teams decimated with injuries. Historically, the Hawks have struggled to put away games like that, but they didn’t resort to some bad habits that usually resulted in those losses.
This season the Hawks have played more unselfishly as they continue to lean into passing the ball and improving their floor spacing. The Hawks have averaged 29.8 assists per game, a 12% increase from the end of last season.
Per the Hawks, they’ve had 25 or more assists in 14 consecutive games, the longest streak in franchise history. In the past five games, they’ve averaged 32.2 assists on 45 field goals made.
All this has occurred as the Hawks have tried to diversify its scoring options, looking for more players amid the rotation to step up as receivers for Trae Young’s passes.
The Hawks guard has put up some of his best numbers as a distributor this season. Through 21 games, Young has averaged a league-best 12.2 assists per game and leads the league in total assists, 61 more than Clippers guard James Harden.
“I mean, that’s what I’ve always doing,” Young said Monday night after dishing 15 assists in the Hawks’ win over the Pelicans. “It’s nothing new with my shots still not going down, and trust me when that starts falling, it’s a different ballgame. But we’re winning right now, and that’s all that matters to me. Like to be honest with you, I know I can impact the game in multiple ways. I don’t have to just score. I can play defense, I can get everyone involved. I can rebound. I can do a lot of things. And so, my shots haven’t been falling this first little quarter of the season. But we still got some more quarters left to turn around.”
Young’s first two games this season looked differently with him shooting the ball more efficiently to start the year than last season. But as defenses have begun to pick him up full court, blitz him, trap at half-court or on the sidelines, the guard’s shooting splits have dropped off significantly with him scoring career-lows from the floor and from 3.
But he’s really leaned on his teammates, learning to trust them more not just with their abilities to knock shots down but also their skill set to create plays. Because of the attention Young commands from defenses, it has opened the floor Bogdan Bogdanovic (1.9 assists), Kobe Bufkin (1.9 assists), Dyson Daniels (career-high three assists), Zaccharie Risacher (1.4 assists) and more to find open looks for the rest of the team.
On top of that, the Hawks don’t have to rely solely on Young to bring the ball up the court, particularly when the Hawks can get out in transition. Over the past two seasons, the Hawks have put the ball in the hands of Jalen Johnson more, leaning on him as more of a point forward.
Johnson always has had the ability to push the ball ahead or take advantage of looks off the fast break and finding teammates with quick lobs or alley-oops. But this season, Johnson has probed defenses more, using the pick and roll, finding teammates in mismatches and rewarding those moving off the ball.
“I mean having Jalen, playing the way he’s been playing is unbelievable for us,” Young said. “It helps me out a lot having somebody I can give the ball to, and if somebody is pressuring me full court or denying me the ball, ace guarding me, I can give him the ball and play off it a little bit, set screens. We were able to get some guys to get layups and wide-open layups for me just screening tonight.”
The Hawks forward, who turns 23 on Dec. 18, has averaged a career-high 5.5 assists per game and is among only three other players averaging at least 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists this season.
Much of the Hawks’ success has come from their emphasis on consistent movement, with Johnson, Daniels and Risacher all showing instincts to cut to the basket and keep plays alive. The Hawks also have tried to work inside out, feeding their big men, particularly on nights when the 3-pointers won’t fall.
But the return of De’Andre Hunter to the rotation has continued to open more consistent scoring options for the Hawks off the bench. Bogdanovic also remains a threat from 3, and the Hawks look to continue working on their spacing to take full advantage of it.
Until then, the Hawks will continue to move the ball by committee.
“When you look at kind of balanced scoring, if we see balanced assists as well, that means the ball is moving and it becomes how you play, as opposed to the stats, just reflect how you play,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said Nov. 30. “And that’s the thing that we’re really striving for, that everybody plays with the pass, not just Trae or your point guard. But that’s true for Clint (Capela), when he gets an offensive rebound and he’s blocked in, just everybody get their eyes out and their eyes up and move the ball.”
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