Three Thoughts Following Hawks Blowout Win Over Orlando Magic

Even though the Atlanta Hawks haven't been an overwhelming force like some expected this year, there's no question things are trending up after a commanding win over the Orlando Magic. Atlanta got out to a big lead that they never really relinquished, winning by a comfortable 127-112 margin. Six different Hawks finished with double-digit points and they held the Magic to 32.4% shooting from deep. Conversely, Atlanta wiped the Magic off the floor by hitting a blistering 43.3% of their threes and making plays on defense, recording 11 blocks as a team.

It could be argued this was Atlanta's best win of the season to-date and definitely one of their stronger two-way performances. The Hawks held Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero largely in check, forcing them into many of the looks the Magic's star duo have been missing to begin the year. However, it wasn't a perfect performance. Atlanta's biggest flaws still stood out in this game and there's several lessons that fans can take away from the game, despite it being a blowout.

In Young's Absence, Luke Kennard Isn't Going To Be Part Of The Solution

Atlanta Hawks, Hawks, Luke Kennard, Kennar — Nov 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Luke Kennard (3) shoots against the Orlando Magic in the third quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Part of being a shooter is going through cold streaks. Practically every shooter who relies on their three-point accuracy to carve out minutes has stretches where they can't hit anything. Unfortunately for the Hawks, it appears that Luke Kennard is in one of those stretches. The former Grizzlies and Clippers sharpshooter owns a career 43.8% shooting mark on 4.5 attempts per game and he's currently shooting 41% from deep on three attempts a game. That means both his volume and accuracy are down below his usual standards. He has hit 3+ threes in two of his last five games and it's only November, so there's lots of time for him to get back into it. However, he's not going to be a consistent part of the offense for the foreseeable future.

That's a problem because the Hawks are currently shooting 34.7% from deep, good for 18th in the league, and they don't have a lot of threats to create threes on their own. Atlanta is 5th in the league for percentage of made threes that come via assists, so they're doing a good job of moving it around to get guys open in space. However, they need to capitalize on those looks.

The Hawks Don't Have Much Of A Size Problem Anymore

Mo Gueye, Gueye, Atlanta Hawks, Hawk — Nov 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots past Atlanta Hawks forward Mouhamed Gueye (18) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In previous seasons, it was almost a guarantee that the Hawks would get their teeth kicked in by bigger teams. That hasn't been the case for this season. They're 18th in points in the paint, but rank 12th in FG% conceded within 5 feet of the rim and 9th in defensive FG%. To be clear, they aren't elite, but the Hawks' bigger lineup have given them more optionality when guarding power forwards and centers. One of Kristaps Porzingis, Onyeka Okongwu or Mo Gueye will usually be able to give good minutes on defense against the opposing center while Jalen Johnson has shown the ability to be a good defender when he's dialed in on that end. They can effectively counter double-big lineups, which seems to be the future the NBA is trending towards.

For further proof, look no further than how Atlanta defended Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero yesterday. They held Wagner to 18 points on 6-15 shooting and four turnovers. Banchero almost had a triple-double, but his 22 points came on 10 free throws and 6-16 shooting where he missed all of his threes. Gueye also had an excellent defensive performance against Paolo, which is encouraging for his development as a possible defensive weapon. Neither Banchero or Wagner made a single three-pointer against Atlanta, which shows that Atlanta can prevent these stars from getting hot from behind the arc despite their size.

Dyson Daniels - Point Guard?

Dyson Daniels, Daniels, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks, NB — Nov 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) defends Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Although he's gotten the start in Trae Young's absence, Nickeil Alexander-Walker's first couple games as a starting point guard hasn't gone well. In each of the three games that he's played at that spot, he's had 3, 5 and 7 turnovers respectively. It's too early to say the Hawks need to trade for someone in order to fill that role, but NAW seems overtaxed in this role.

How about Dyson Daniels in that spot?

He's had six assists in two of his last three games on only 5 turnovers combined in those games. Daniels has more of a natural touch at PG and the advanced stats favor that as well. He has a 15.5 AST% compared to NAW's 15.1 AST% and while NAW's turnover percentage is slightly better, he's also been playing at a 24.3% usage rate compared to Dyson's 14.8%. Daniels has just gotten much fewer opportunities to handle the ball, so his mistakes are amplified due to the smaller sample size. While the NBA is trending towards positionless basketball, there needs to be a clear delineation as to who's the lead initiator for the offense. It might be worth considering a change in that regard.

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