Currently No. 8 In The East, What Are Three Keys To An Atlanta Hawks Playoff Push?

Although the Hawks currently have a postseason spot, what are three things that need to happen for the Hawks to secure their postseason ticket?

Rohan Raman | Feb 14, 2025

Feb 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) looks to post up against Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Hawks

Before the All-Star break, the Atlanta Hawks faced off against the Knicks in a overtime thriller that unfortunately ended in a Hawks loss, 149-149. After a poor first half, Trae Young led the Hawks with 38 points and 19 assists. He looked excellent as a facilitator and scorer, including giving them a chance to win it in OT. Onyeka Okongwu had 21 points and 14 rebounds while Dyson Daniels had 23 points and notched his second straight game with 4 steals. Off the bench, Niang and LeVert went for 21 and 20 points respectively. Niang hit four threes and was instrumental towards Atlanta's offense while LeVert's activity on both ends showed up in a big way. They effectively carried the Hawks' second unit.

However, the Hawks missed too many free throws (11 missed in a one-point game) and couldn't get the stops on defense down the stretch. Now that the team has a break, it's a good time to assess what the major factors to a playoff run are going to be.

Currently, the Hawks are 8th in the NBA in PPG, 17th in FG%, 16th in 3PA, 24th in 3P%, 2nd in FTA, 28th in turnovers, and 10th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 20th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 21st in turnover percentage, 14th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 5th in free throw rate.

On defense, they rank 26th in PPG allowed, 27th in field goal percentage allowed, 22nd in three-point attempts allowed, and 24th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 13th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 27th in effective field goal percentage allowed.

Zaccharie Risacher's Consistency?

Risacher has had an excellent turn-around since December. While his first two months showed that he needed time to adjust to Atlanta's offensive system, he's been effective on both ends of the court since then. Over the past two or so months, he's shooting 37% from deep and upped his scoring to 12 points on league-average efficiency. He's also showing some real upside as an off-ball threat. Last night against the Knicks, he had a beautiful three-pointer where he cut into the open space and confidently shot the three off the pass from Trae Young. The Hawks certainly raised some eyebrows when they took him at the top of the 2024 draft, but he's on his way towards proving them right.

It's going to be a big ask for him to maintain that consistency as the Hawks get deeper into the regular season and especially in the postseason, but the tools are there for Risacher to be a critical part of a Hawks postseason berth.

Can the Bench Keep It Up?

The decision to trade DeAndre Hunter to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Caris LeVert and Georges Niang certainly raised some eyebrows, but there's no denying that these players have helped the Hawks stay afloat when the second unit comes in. LeVert's ability to do the little things - crash the boards, be in the right spot and hit open threes - has been noticeable in the time he's been with the team so far. Niang is more one-dimensional, but there's no denying what he brings to Atlanta from a catch-and-shoot perspective.

Beyond LeVert and Niang, Terence Mann is making an impact on defense while his offense has been more limited. Even so, he was an instrumental part of the win in Orlando by hitting all three of his attempts from deep and playing good defense. He can keep up with most guards and doesn't demand a lot of usage on offense. He may never get back to the heights that he showed in the 2021 playoffs, but he can definitely be a solid contributor for the Hawks down the stretch.

Is Onyeka Okongwu Capable of Handling His Minutes?

Okongwu has stepped into the unquestioned starting role for Atlanta as the center and it's been relatively successful. His struggles against true seven-footers and lack of elite strength show up against upper echelon NBA centers, but he's a solid option in most matchups.

The real concern with the current roster is that both Larry Nance and Clint Capela appear to be incapable of taking on legitimate backup minutes right now. Capela's been inactive in the games recently despite not being on the injury report while Nance is sidelined with a knee injury that could end his season. That means the Hawks are very reliant on Mo Gueye and Dominick Barlow to take on minutes as backup options. They are very much untested and go through ebbs and flows in their effectiveness. Okongwu may not have many opportunities for rest throughout the back half of the season and he hasn't been the healthiest player in his career thus far.

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