Since making a surprise run to the Eastern Conference finals in the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Hawks have seen their defense gradually regress no matter how productive star guard Trae Young is.
Last season, Young and the Hawks were tied for 28th in scoring defense, allowing 120.5 points per game, and finished 36-46 before losing a play-in tournament game to the Chicago Bulls.
Atlanta is hoping its defense significantly improves in Quin Snyder’s second full season at the helm, which begins with Wednesday’s season opener against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.
The Hawks were 12th in scoring defense during the 2020-21 campaign, when they went 41-31 in the regular season and surged to the East finals before losing to the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Atlanta’s scoring defense fell to 21st the year after and dipped to a tie for 25th in 2022-23 before tumbling again last season. The Hawks also allowed opponents to shoot 49.5 percent from the field last season, the third-highest mark in the league.
Young averaged 25.7 points in 2023-24 but played just four games after Feb. 23 due to a torn ligament in his left pinkie.
In the offseason, Atlanta traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for guard Dyson Daniels and forward Larry Nance Jr., whom the Hawks hope can help shore up their defense.
While Nance is there to help with rebounding, Daniels is expected to shadow an opponent’s leading scorer. Daniels did so effectively against All-Stars Tyrese Haliburton, Tyrese Maxey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during the preseason.
“It definitely helps to have scrappy guys ready to scramble,” Atlanta center Clint Capela said. “It definitely helps me to do that same job on the inside … whenever I see guards who are active like that.”
Daniels and Nance are joining a young core that includes forwards Jalen Johnson, De’Andre Hunter and top overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Capela and guard Bogdan Bogdanovic are the top returning veterans.
The Nets, under first-year coach Jordi Fernandez, open their 13th season in Brooklyn with some of the lowest expectations since moving from New Jersey.
After five straight playoff appearances in a span that saw them acquire Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving before both stars requested trades, the Nets finished 32-50 last season and cratered in the final three-plus months by going 17-35.
Brooklyn’s lower expectations partly stem from trading Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for five first-round picks. The Nets did little to enhance the roster via free agency or other trades.
“What we have right now is the group we have, and our job is to go in there and compete,” Brooklyn forward Cameron Johnson said. “On one hand, you say we have low expectations, then we just get to come out and play how we play without all that added stress that can come with that.”
The Nets are banking on fourth-year guard Cam Thomas to be their primary offensive threat. The former first-round pick boosted his scoring average from 10.6 points per game in 2022-23 to 22.5 last season, during which he played in 66 games with 51 starts.
Brooklyn is also hoping Ben Simmons can finally stay healthy.
Back problems have limited Simmons to 57 games over two-plus years with Brooklyn, who acquired the guard from the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2022. Simmons played in just 15 games last season, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 23.9 minutes.
The Nets are counting on continued improvement from center Nic Claxton, who practiced for the first time Monday since being sidelined due to hamstring soreness.
Claxton signed a four-year contract in the offseason and enters his sixth professional season averaging 10.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over 241 games (167 starts).
–Field Level Media