The Atlanta Hawks were supposed to be contending for the top of the East this year. Through five games, however, the team is playing nowhere near the level required for a fruitful season.
There are a concerning number of problems the team has to address, the most confusing one being the horrid defensive pairing of Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Johnson. What was supposed to be an interesting combination of defensive profiles has been a disaster through five games.
In 54 minutes played together, Porzingis and Johnson have a whopping 134.4 defensive rating, 18.