Hawks Biggest Issues Continued To Be Exposed Against the Pistons Last Night

The Hawks lost again to the Pistons last night and their biggest issues continue to be exposed when facing them

Dec 12, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) looks to pass the ball after stealing it from Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Last night was arguably the worst Hawks game of the season. They lost by 27 to the Detroit Pistons, their third time losing to Detroit this season, and while the Hawks were not completely healthy, they saw some old issues rear their head last night, and ones that make you wonder if the Hawks are going to be able to reach their highest goals this season.

The Hawks have lost every matchup against the Pistons this season and have had issues with them dating back to last season. One of the reasons that the Hawks went out and acquired Kristaps Porzingis was that they wanted to be able to be more versatile with their lineups and have plenty of size to offer against bigger, more physical teams. While Onyeka Okongwu is still a largely underrated player, he has struggled in matchups against the Pistons and some of the bigger teams that the Hawks play.

Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta has not ranked lower than 15th in ORB% (Offensive rebounding percentage) since the 2017-2018 season, when they ranked 18th. They are currently ranked 24th, and the rebounding issues have been persistent all season. For the Hawks to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, they are going to have to improve. There are some issues that will be helped when Trae Young comes back from his injury, but that is not going to be one of them.

How to fix it?

Dec 5, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis (8) reacts after a basket against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Hawks traded for Porzingis to help fix some of these issues and while they did not have to give up much in the deal, Porzingis has not been on the floor much as of late due to an illness. Even when he has been on the floor, the Hawks defense has not exactly benefitted from having him on the floor.

Per Cleaning the Glass, the Hawks defense is +4.9 points allowed per 100 possessions (22nd percentile) when Porzingis is on the floor, the second lowest mark of Porzingis career. On the other hand, the offense is +9.3 points per 100 possessions when Porzingis is on the floor. He has been great on one end for the Hawks, but not as good on the other.

While I think the Hawks should wait and see what the team looks like when Young and Porzingis play together, it might be in Atlanta's best interest to look at the big man market and see what kind of upgrades are out there. It does not even have to be a big name upgrade like Anthony Davis, but if the Hawks want to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, this issue has to be fixed.