It was just a few short weeks ago when the Atlanta Hawks surprised many people with their success despite the absence of Trae Young. Atlanta got off to a 9-5 start. The Hawks were four games over .500 for the first time since November of 2022. Jalen Johnson officially leapt into All-Star and All-NBA discussions, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker arguably looked like the best free agent pickup for the 2025 offseason.
However, Atlanta hit a wall in December. The Hawks have a 2-10 record for the month and are in the midst of a disastrous six-game losing streak. They went winless on their five-game homestand, which included a baseball series back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls. Here are two key areas where Atlanta must improve to right the ship.
2 Glaring Issues During the Hawks’ 6-Game Losing Streak
Lack of Size Puts Hawks at a Big Disadvantage
Atlanta traded for Kristaps Porziņģis before the campaign to address its lack of frontcourt size. However, the star center has only played 13 games for the season due to illness. He missed the last two weeks, and the Hawks plan to label him day-to-day after Monday’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
An @emoryhealthcare injury update:
Kristaps Porzingis is continuing to progress in his recovery from an illness. He will not travel with the team for tomorrow’s game at Oklahoma City and is day-to-day moving forward. pic.twitter.com/h0j2WkiLcN
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) December 28, 2025
While the 6-foot-9-inch Onyeka Okongwu continues to impress in a career-best season, especially from beyond the arc, he struggles to keep bigger centers from dominating down low. In addition, head coach Quin Snyder must lean on Mouhamed Gueye and rookie Asa Newell for backup center minutes due to Porziņģis and N’Faly Dante‘s absences. However, both Newell and Gueye are better suited to the four than the five. They can utilize their athleticism more effectively at power forward, rather than battling stronger centers for paint positioning and rebounds.
Karl-Anthony Towns took full advantage of this situation, as he totaled 36 points and 15 rebounds against Atlanta on Dec. 27. He also shot 17-of-18 from the free-throw line. The New York Knicks star continuously put his head down and drove to the paint throughout the contest. Whether he caught the ball on the roll or initiated the drive on his own, Atlanta had a tough time staying in front, resulting in many fouls. Jalen Johnson picked up his third foul at the 7:19 mark of the second quarter on a Towns roll to the rim.
Snyder thought New York’s size could be problematic on the offensive glass when he addressed the Hawks’ disadvantage in his pregame press conference.
“We’re not the biggest team, so we’re going to need everybody to rebound … If you just look at the height of their team versus ours, we’re giving up some height at almost every position,” Snyder said. The Knicks ended up grabbing 19 offensive rebounds in the contest, resulting in 23 second-chance points.
Hawks Need More From Luke Kennard
Atlanta signed Luke Kennard to a one-year, $11 million contract in the offseason. The Hawks acquired Kennard for his deadeye three-point shooting and additional playmaking boost. However, the 29-year-old has not produced at the level the team expected.
Kennard ranks fourth all-time with a 43.7% career three-point efficiency. However, he only averages 2.9 attempts from deep on the season—the fewest since his rookie year. He plays a career-low 19.6 minutes per game, and Snyder left him out of the rotation against the Miami Heat on Dec. 26.
Atlanta needs Kennard to be more aggressive and “let it fly” from deep. If not, his struggles defensively, combined with the lack of shooting aggression, hurt the Hawks on both ends of the floor.
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