The Atlanta Hawks struggled to score in the half-court throughout last season. They relied on forcing turnovers, grabbing defensive boards, and running in transition for consistent, quality offense. General manager Onsi Saleh and the front office acquired Kristaps Porziņģis this summer to add a half-court shot creator and post playmaker next to Trae Young.
Unfortunately, Young went down with a sprained MCL in his right knee in just the fifth game of the season. The four-time All-Star is expected to miss at least one month while undergoing rehabilitation. As a result, Atlanta will fight to stay afloat without Young, its primary offensive creator and playmaker. The team’s half-court offensive struggles resurfaced against the Toronto Raptors on November 7.
Hawks Offense Unsurprisingly Slows Down Without Trae Young
Hawks Fail to Reach the Century Mark Against Raptors
Atlanta fell to 4-5 on the season and 1-1 in NBA Cup group play with their 97-109 loss to Toronto. The Hawks built a 13-point lead in the first few minutes of the second quarter off the Raptors’ live-ball turnovers. Zaccharie Risacher took full advantage of their miscues, dropping Scottie Barnes and hitting a transition three-pointer on the next possession to hype up the State Farm Arena crowd.
ZACCH SHOWING OFF pic.twitter.com/nJhi5YjoMu
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 8, 2025
The Raptors were unable to break through the Hawks’ defense, going nearly six minutes without a field goal. Atlanta’s defense improves with Young’s absence, especially on the perimeter with the duo of Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. It limited Toronto to just 18 points in the second quarter on 5-22 shooting.
However, the Hawks turned the ball over six times during this stretch and could not extend the lead — the first sign of bad things to come in the second half. They shot a shocking 14-54 from the field and 5-20 from beyond the arc in the final 24 minutes and hit just nine of their 34 two-point attempts. Atlanta still played great half-court defense, but when a team keeps missing, it allows the opposition to get out in transition. The Raptors did just that, scoring 16 fastbreak buckets to the Hawks’ two in the second half.
Head coach Quin Snyder mentioned his team’s shooting woes led to the Raptors’ offensive success. “We turned the ball over. Sometimes we had open shots that we passed up. Our offense really hurt our defense,” said Snyder.
Atlanta ended the contest with a season-low 91.4 offensive rating.
Hawks Adjustments For A Smoother Offense Without Young
After the Raptors’ loss, Snyder said he thought his team passed up some open looks. Analysts and coaches often say, “he passed up a good shot for an even better one,” but the Hawks cannot consistently create “better ones” when the game slows down, especially in crunch time without Young. They rank 20th in fourth-quarter scoring at 27.9 points per game.
The best way for Atlanta to get quality shots is to create turnovers and get out in transition. They rank seventh in opponent turnovers, forcing 16.7 per game. Additionally, Daniels ranks fifth in the NBA in steals with 2.4 per contest. When Risacher and Jalen Johnson have a runaway in the open floor, not many teams can stop them. Alexander-Walker and Daniels increase their ball pressure to make opposing perimeter players uncomfortable and force them to make mistakes.
If the Hawks cannot force a turnover, they must improve on the defensive glass to find quick outlet passes. Atlanta averages 32.3 defensive rebounds per game, good for just 17th in the association. Both Porziņģis and Johnson’s defensive rebounding numbers are down. The former is averaging a career-low 6.3 rebounds, while Johnson’s 8.4 is lower than his 10.0 a season ago. These numbers must improve for Atlanta to get out on the break more often.
Featured image: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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