27 Games In, How they Lookin'?Hawks are Now 14-13

In the past nine games, the Atlanta Hawks have gone 7-2. Although much more went into these wins, two words can essentially sum up the reason for this success: defense and health. The addition of Dyson Daniels cannot be emphasized enough. Obviously, no one man can have all that power...but Dyson brings a focus on defensive energy that is infiltrating many of his teammates. The ability to often have Dyson start the game guarding the opposing team's best scorer, while subsequently bringing De'Andre Hunter off the bench to replace him (or sometimes play alongside him) gives Atlanta that 1-2 punch on the defensive end. We know much of defense is effort, as preached by players and coaches alike, and for Atlanta, that holds true. The Dyson effect can be seen in how his teammates step up their efforts as well.

Trae Young continues to lead the league in assists-per-game, averaging 12.1 on the season. Dyson leads the league in steals-per-game, averaging 3.0 on the season. Both Trae and Jalen Johnson are averaging double-doubles for the season, Trae at 21.5 ppg and 12.1 apg and Jalen at 19.6 ppg and 10.1 rpg. Jalen has been having a phenomenal season and has been mentioned for Most-Improved-Player as well as All-Star considerations. When you add in De'Andre's performance off the bench (19.3 ppg), those three have been putting on a masterclass for Hawks fans to enjoy. 

Unfortunately, the health bug is fickle and the Hawks have been hit once again. It was announced yesterday (12/18) that Kobe Bufkin would miss the remainder of the season due to surgery to address "right shoulder instability," leaving the team thin on the point guard side yet again. Onyeka Okongwu is dealing with left knee inflammation and slated to miss at least four games...starting with the one at San Antonio Spurs. It'll be quite the test to see how they fare without their backup big and another option at backup pg. The team called up Dominick Barlow from the College Park Skyhawks.

I'd like to see what this team looks like when their offense isn't hitting like they'd want it to, as we saw in the final moments of that game against the Milwaukee Bucks for the Emirates NBA Cup Semifinals. With the two losses over the last nine games coming against top five teams in the East and West, this Hawks team has a lot to be positive about. They also beat the top three teams in the East in that period as well. The team chemistry is showing through their play and they can continue to build on that going forward.