After an offseason filled with promise, the Atlanta Hawks fell flat on their face to start the season. They lost three of their first four games, including an embarrassing blowout loss in their season opener against the Toronto Raptors. As pundits retracted their lofty expectations for the NBA’s new favorite underdog, Hawks fans understood this was a temporary setback.
Beneath these losses lay a critical weakness holding the team back: transition defense. Opponents scored an average of 21.0 fast break points per game, which would lead the league if Hawks’ opponents were classified as a team.