Hawks Basketball: Biggest Takeaways From Atlanta's 133-120 Loss to Washington

What are the big takeaways from Atlanta's loss to Washington on Wednesday night?

Oct 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

After losing to the Wizards on Monday night, the Hawks were hoping to get revenge on their Southeast Divison rival on Wednesday night and show that Monday was just an anomaly. Even though they were shorthanded, Atlanta was still favored and the Wizards were starting three rookies in their lineup, as well as also missing Kyle Kuzma.

The Hawks still lost however and the loss on Wednesday was not all that different from the loss on Monday. The Hawks looked fine for a half and then just collapsed on defense in the second half, unable to defend the three point line. That is now three straight losses for Atlanta and after an exciting 2-0 start, the Hawks are having to pick themselves up off the floor and try to right the ship before things spiral.

So what are the big takeaways from last night's game?

1. The Hawks collapsed in the second half again

Atlanta led by eight at the half, but it quickly disappeared for the second straight game and the Wizards got hot from three. In the second half, Washington shot 60% from the field and 47% from three. In the fourth quarter alone, Washington shot 70% from the field and 67% from three. Jonas Valanciunas, Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Bub Carrington, and Jordan Poole were all in double digits in the second half. The Hawks were without their top defenders in Dyson Daniels and De'Andre Hunter, but allowing the Wizards to do the same thing to you in the second half as they did Monday is inexcusable. Atlanta has improved on defense by most metrics, but the three-point defense is the worst in the NBA right now.

2. Keaton Wallace did a fine job in backup minutes

With the Hawks down four of their top five ball handlers, they had to rely on Keaton Wallace, who is on a two-way contract for the team. Wallace played a little over 14 minutes in the game and he did some good things when he was out there. He ended with eight points on 3-3 shooting and was solid on defense as well. The Hawks did not want to see Wallace playing such a big role coming into the year, but he might have to if the Hawks are going to be banged up.

3. The Hawks have to find a way to navigate these injuries

Best case scenario for the Hawks, they can get Dyson Daniels and De'Andre Hunter back on Friday vs the Kings. If not, things could get dire for Atlanta. They are already missing Bogdanovic and Bufkin for a month and Krejci for two weeks. It is early in the season, but the Hawks are already super banged up and it will be up to the coaching staff to figure out some solutions or things could avalanche out of control for Atlanta.