Why The 2024-25 Atlanta Hawks Can't Stop Anyone From The Three-Point Line

Atlanta has one of the worst perimeter defenses in basketball and routinely get torched from beyond the arc - can it be fixed before the playoffs?

Mar 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) reacts behind Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

When assessing a team's chances of winning the NBA Finals, limiting teams from beyond the arc is one of the most critical factors in their profile. Three-point variance is one of the ultimate X-factors that can swing a single game in a play-in or postseason tournament. Therefore, teams that have the personnel to run shooters off the line tend to be among the league's most successful.

Of the ten best teams at limiting opponent 3P%, the Thunder (1st) and Celtics (4th) are the favorites to represent their respective conferences in the Finals. The Clippers (5th), Bucks (6th), Lakers (7th) and Rockets (10th) are all playoff teams with a good shot of making it to the second round or beyond. To be fair, this is not a universal rule. The Bulls (2nd) and Timberwolves (7th) are both fighting for the play-in tournament while the Raptors (3rd) seem destined for a lottery pick. Conversely, the Knicks (28th) and Nuggets (21st) do not have strong perimeter defenses, but make up for it with excellent offensive production.

Still, the last team to win a championship while being outside the top-ten in opponent 3P% is the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks. They were 29th, but they elevated their game in the playoffs to allowing an opposing three-point percentage of 35.2%. That would have been the fourth-best mark in the NBA across a whole season. It's hard to say that they were a bad perimeter defense with that context. Furthermore, the Bucks also had a suffocating interior defense with an imposing rim protector in Brook Lopez and the defensive versatility of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It goes without saying that the Hawks don't have that. Onyeka Okongwu is a solid rim protector and Jalen Johnson is a great help defender, but neither are close to the defense of a Giannis-Lopez frontcourt.

Currently, the Hawks let up the third-worst mark from deep at 37.4%. Since the trade deadline on February 6th, they've stayed at that ranking and actually gotten worse, allowing teams to shoot 38.2% from deep. This isn't a function of changes in the team's personnel. Caris LeVert and Terance Mann are active on defense, but they aren't really perimeter stoppers. It's true that the absence of a defender like Johnson has made things worse. However, Johnson's absence really shows up in the Hawks' help defense and ability to matchup with wings. He is an athletic defender who offers secondary rim protection. That being said, he still makes the defensive mistakes associated with a young wing and tends to let players blow past him. DeAndre Hunter is also a good two-way player and trading him at the deadline certainly didn't improve the number of options Atlanta has to slow down shooters.

As such, the infrastructure of the Hawks' perimeter defense is currently flawed. That isn't to say that Atlanta is devoid of good perimeter defenders. Dyson Daniels is potentially the best perimeter defender in the league due to his agility, quickness, defensive IQ and length. There's a reason why he leads the NBA in steals and steals per game. Zaccharie Risacher also has real defensive tools for a young wing. He has a ton of length, gets into passing lanes and has the foot speed to stay with opposing players on the perimeter. However, there aren't really any other plus defenders on the roster.

While Atlanta's bench has been able to generate offense, their defense has been less impressive. Niang is a below-average option on the perimeter because he lacks the quickness to stay in front of perimeter scorers. LeVert's defense is fairly inconsistent and Mann has not been a good defender during his time with the Hawks. Vit Krejci has his good moments on defense and brings some switchability, but he's far from a lockdown option either.

In short, this probably can't be fixed by the playoffs. Atlanta is going to have to hope they can score more than their opponents and live with whatever they give up on the other end of the floor. The fully healthy version of the Hawks that were able to stave off the Celtics and Cavaliers had enough options to hold up over the course of multiple playoff series. However, the departure of Hunter and absence of Johnson, as well as a more offensively-tilted bench lineup, puts a lot of pressure on the Hawks' perimeter defense as they head into the 2024-25 playoffs.

Still, there is room for future optimism. Risacher and Johnson have room to grow as perimeter defenders - they have clear tools to work with and both are under the age of 25. Most wings take two to three years to develop at bare minimum. Therefore, it's reasonable to expect Atlanta can have one of the better perimeter defenses in the league as soon as next season if they make the right moves and have any semblance of injury luck.

Additional Links

ESPN Experts Give Bold Dyson Daniels Prediction For Next Season

Trae Young Says He Does Not Want To Discuss An Extension Until After the Season: "I’m Just Focusing On This Team"

NBA Analyst Has Interesting Way To Describe The Atlanta Hawks Heading Into The Final Weeks Of The Season