The Atlanta Hawks faced the Toronto Raptors last night and unfortunately, it was more of the same for them. Despite hopes of a post-All-Star Break resurgence, the team failed to impress. Their defense was lacking, Trae Young had a subpar game, and their shooting in the second half was abysmal. As a result, the Hawks lost their third consecutive game, bringing their record to 24-32. The main takeaway from the loss was the team’s poor second-half three-point shooting, which played a significant role in their defeat. Although they had a strong second quarter, the Hawks failed to maintain their momentum and shot only 4-19 from three in the second half. None of their players hit more than one three-point shot, with Saddiq Bey, Trae Young, and Bogdan Bogdanovic all struggling. With a two-point difference in the final score, it’s clear that better shooting could have resulted in a win for the Hawks.
Trae Young, who has been a standout player for the Hawks this season and earned himself an All-Star bid, is currently experiencing a slump in his performance. Despite his impressive showing during the All-Star weekend, Young has struggled to maintain his usual level of play in the past few games. In their most recent game, he shot 4-13 from the field and 2-6 from three, marking his third consecutive game of subpar performance. Prior to this, he shot 3-14 in a loss against the Bulls and scored only 12 points on 4-12 shooting in the game before the All-Star Break against the Hornets.
The success of the Hawks is dependent on Young’s ability to lead the team both in scoring and assisting his teammates. Additionally, De’Andre Hunter’s impressive performance off the bench raises questions about his role on the team. Despite concerns about his playing time, Hunter has been playing well since returning from injury and continued to do so in the previous game. Although he started off slow, Hunter picked up the pace in the second half, scoring 22 points on 8-17 shooting and 2-7 from three. With 15 of those points coming in the second half and a 6-10 field goal percentage, it may be wise to continue bringing him off the bench while he’s playing at this level.
