What We Learned From Atlanta's 116-103 Loss to New Orleans
The Hawks are going to begin a five-game road trip on Wednesday and they will be doing so coming off of a loss. New Orleans came to Atlanta last night and got a 116-103, extending a winning streak of their own. It was a game that New Orleans controlled the whole way and while Atlanta never let it get completely out of control, they were never a threat to win the game either.
So what did we learn from Atlanta's loss to the Pelicans?
1. The injuries are really starting to pile up for Atlanta now
The Hawks were already missing Trae Young, Onyeka OKongwu, Jalen Johnson, and Kobe Bufkin. Last night, Saddiq Bey was fouled and injured. After he finished shooting his free throws, Bey went to the locker room and Hawks coach Quin Snyder did not have much in terms of an update after the game:
"Nothing I can give you guys now. They'll go through all the protocols as far as evaluating him and whatever is called for as far as finding out exactly what is going on. You guys saw the play and hopefully he is alright."
Bey has been inconsistent at times this season, but the Hawks really need him right now. An update should come on his status soon.
2. The Pelicans length and athleticism really bothered the Hawks
New Orleans is one of the top defensive teams in the NBA and has a plethora of guys they can throw at you defensively. Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado are all solid defenders and made life tough for the Hawks yesterday.
After the game, Snyder talked about how the Hawks were trying to adjust and get it going against their defense:
"We made some... we struggled early when the game opened up. I thought we did a good job of continuing to compete and play. We got down 20 at that one point. We talk a lot about breaking the paint and attacking the rim and when we did that, we were able to generate better looks with our execution, something that we will keep doing and try to get each other open looks and keep attacking the rim and breaking the paint."
Murray praised Jones for his defense after the game:
"Herb Jones, first-team all-defensive guy and I love it. Love the way he plays and love the way that he competes, but they have a lot of other guys that... they are a long team and they play physical and play together and things just did not go our way. They started off pretty well and they were physical and punched first and it was tough for us to try and find a rhythm and a run, but other than that I thought we still competed and fought."
Mar 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
3. The Hawks can't find any production from their bench aside from De'Andre Hunter
Hunter has been really good off the bench since he returned from his injury, but he is the only reliable bench player for the Hawks. Last night, Hunter had an off-game, shooting 5-15 and scoring 12 points. Bruno Fernando, Trent Forrest, and Garrison Matthews all combined to score eight points. Those three guys have to be relied upon because of the injuries on the team and Atlanta is going to need more from them going forward.
