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Four Biggest Takeaways from Hawks Loss to Heat

The Heat lead the series 1-0.

Pat Benson

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Biggest Lessons Learned from Game One

Heat Defense Tough but Not Perfect

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday's game got off to an inauspicious start when the Hawks went 3-17 in the first quarter. It only got worse from there as they finished the game with a 38.7% field goal percentage and shot 27.8% from three.

But if you truly believe that Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic will have another game where they shoot a combined 1-20 from the field and 0-11 from deep, then I have a timeshare at Mar-a-Lago to sell you.

Sure, the Heat had the fourth-best defensive rating in the league during the regular season, so nothing will come easy for the Hawks this series. However, the schemes they're throwing at the Hawks are not insoluble.Β 

Leaning on their size and athleticism, the Heat aggressively switched on every screen set by the Hawks. Additionally, they shaded toward Young and threw the occasional double-team and trap on him, which further disrupted the second-best offense in the league. The problems were exasperated by the Hawks inability to knock down open shots.

The way out of this quagmire (giggity) is more ball movement and penetration. Without Capela on the floor keeping the defense honest, the Hawks have to make the Heat pay whenever they leave two defenders alone to patrol the rim and corners.

Back to the Drawing Board

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

After the game, Hawks head coach Nate McMillan immediately dismissed the idea that fatigue had any factor in the blowout loss. I respectfully disagree. The Hawks had to win two intense Play-In games this past week, including an emotional comeback victory in Cleveland less than 40 hours before Game One.

Despite Clint Capela being out indefinitely and John Collins on a minutes restriction, McMillan kept an 8-man rotation until the game was out of reach. As a result, fan-favorite Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot only got 2:34 of burn in the third quarter.

I understand that rotations shrink in the postseason, but yesterday's 'scheduled loss' could have served as an opportunity to rest the starters in the second half. Instead, Kevin Huerter was in the game when the Hawks were down by 29 points, and Collins played over 21 minutes.Β 

McMillan will make adjustments, but he isn't going to radically change anything. Instead, the old-school coach is more likely to demand more out of his players. But with so many injuries (including the ghost of Lou Williams on the bench), and a hungry Heat team led by perennial Coach of the Year candidate Erik Spoelstra, now is the time to get creative.Β 

Heat Scorching Hot Offense

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Insult was added to injury yesterday when Duncan Robinson set a Heat franchise record by making 8 threes in a playoff game. Most of the shots were well-guarded. Robinson only had a sliver of space, and that's all the sharpshooter needed.

During the regular season, the Heat averaged 13.6 made threes on 35.8 attempts. That's a league-leading 37.9% from deep. Yesterday, they knocked down 18-38 (47.4%). So, it's safe to say that yesterday's barrage was an outlier.

However, that doesn't mean that Spoelstra and his staff won't stop scheming up plays on the shorthanded Hawks defense. With Capela out, the Hawks are without their defensive anchor. Second-year center Onyeka Okongwu gave commendable effort and energy, but he still doesn't provide the presence of Capela on defense.

Additionally, Collins is still on a minutes restriction. While Danilo Gallinari has been excellent on offense, he has to be hidden on defense. Defense has never been the strong suit of Young, either. Cam Reddish isn't walking through that door, so the Hawks must find ways to work with what they have on the roster.

John Collins Not 100%

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The high-flying power forward was not himself yesterday. But he still exceeded expectations for a player that hasn't practiced with the team or participated in a game since March 11. Not to mention, his finger is in a splint and his foot is still recovering from a fascia tear.

Nevertheless, Collins provided 10 points (4-6 FG) and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. Shockingly, 12 of the minutes played were logged consecutively in the second half.

After the game, Collins said,Β "I don’t necessarily know if I’ll feel 100% anytime soon... It’s more so about just understanding can I can go out there and feel comfortable, can I go out there and just hoop."

Collins' blue-collar mentality is nothing new. But such a drastic ramp-up in a short amount of time has the potential to cause more health setbacks. The Hawks desperately need Collins on the floor, but not as much as they need the 24-year-old to be healthy for the next four years of his $125 million contract.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the Atlanta Hawks for Sports Illustrated's All Hawks. He has covered the NBA for several years and is the author of "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)".

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