Atlanta's best five-man group has been dominant, but the team's margin has collapsed during a three-game skid. Cleveland arrives at 3-1 with a three-game win streak, so the Hawks need their good numbers to show up tonight.
The Core Five Works
With CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels together, Atlanta has been plus-20.3 per hundred possessions. That is the clearest sign Quin Snyder's preferred group fits. It does not explain Wednesday. Snyder closed with Kingston Flemings in place of McCollum, Johnson finished minus-23 in 36 minutes and Daniels minus-17 in 28. A great unit is only useful if it plays enough minutes to matter.
The Skid Has Teeth
Atlanta's margin went from plus-1.1 for the season to minus-11.8 over its last ten games. Houston scored 121 and 120, and Miami scored 129. Brad Rowland of Locked On Hawks pointed to floater range: Miami went 10-16 from 4 to 14 feet, Atlanta 4-18. The season ratings still hold up at 115.4 on offense and 110.6 on defense, so this is not a broken team. Johnson is shooting 21.7 percent from three while averaging 8.8 assists, and that is the number to fix first.
The Rookie and the Room
Flemings, 19, scored 23 on 9-of-12 shooting against Miami, including 14 in the fourth quarter, and he is hitting 40.0 percent from three. One big night doesn't make him a starter, but it earned him closing minutes. Off the court, the $198.5M payroll sits just under the $200.4M tax line, so the answer to a thin frontcourt with Mouhamed Gueye and Henri Veesaar out probably has to come from inside the building. In the standings, Atlanta is seventh, one game behind the 3-2 Hornets for sixth, with Donovan Mitchell and his 24.8 points coming in tonight.
Why have the Hawks lost three games in a row?
They lost twice to Houston and then 129-117 at home to Miami, giving up 120 or more points each time. The defense, not the offense, has caused the slide.
Is Kingston Flemings earning a bigger role for the Hawks?
He scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench against Miami and was on the floor at the finish. He is shooting 40.0 percent from three, which gives Snyder a reason to keep trusting him.
