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Another week and another power rankings roundup. Fans of the Atlanta Hawks have had it rough watching the team drop four straight games, along with rumblings of tension in the locker room. From the outside, it could be argued that the Hawks seem to be wavering in this early part of the season, but the injuries from players acquired during free agency certainly is not helping the case.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at where the Hawks are in this week’s power ranking roundup.
The Hawks have gone from 4-1 (with only a narrow loss in Brooklyn) to 4-5, with losses to the Cavs, Knicks and Hornets (x2). After scoring 121 points per 100 possessions through their first five games, they’ve scored just 101 per 100 over their last four. Trae Young and Cam Reddish have combined to shoot 32%, including 9-for-47 from 3-point range (Young has missed his last 12 3-point attempts), over the losing streak, and they’ve scored less than 90 points per 100 possessions in Young’s 46 minutes off the floor over the four games. They’re still without Danilo Gallinari (set to be reevaluated this week), and Bogdan Bogdanovic suffered an avulsion fracture in his right knee in their loss in Charlotte on Saturday.
Three of the four losses (all except the one in Charlotte on Saturday) were close. But the struggling offense came up empty down the stretch, shooting 5-for-24 (21%) with zero trips to the line, on 26 clutch possessions. Their last six games have been against teams that rank in the top 10 defensively, but that stretch continues with games against the Sixers (second) and Suns (fifth) this week.
After a hot start, things have cooled off considerably for the Hawks, who have now lost four straight after starting the season 4-1. The Hawks’ free-agent acquisitions have struggled with injuries: Bogdan Bogdanovic left Saturday’s game with a knee injury; Danilo Gallinari is out with an ankle sprain; Rajon Rondo has played in just two games; and Kris Dunn has yet to suit up this season. Meanwhile, Trae Young has struggled in protecting the ball, with 19 turnovers in his past three games. — Lopez
Atlanta’s high-powered offense from the first two weeks of the season has sputtered to a halt, with reported frustration from John Collins about the way Trae Young is running the show. Teams that expect to make the playoffs can’t lose to the Knicks and Hornets at home. Lloyd Pierce switched things up on Saturday by inserting Bogdan Bogdanovic into the starting lineup, but the experiment was short-lived as Bogdanovic exited in the second quarter with a knee injury that Pierce says will keep him out “a while.” With Danilo Gallinari expected to be out for a few more weeks, the Hawks’ young players have to step up to right the ship.
The Hawks are stumbling at the moment and things certainly will not be helped by the injuries and the upcoming schedule. Hopefully the Hawks will be able to fix some of the issues, though, and they have a chance to end the losing streak on Monday evening.