It goes without saying that defensive improvement would be a priority in the Hawks’ offseason strategy. They finished with the Fourth worst defensive rating in the NBAwhich sums up the struggles they’ve had on that front. The defensive futility became particularly unbearable after the All-Star break, when they were historically bad at stopping other offenses for long stretches in February and March.
Simply put, Atlanta was unable to hold on to any point on the field. The defense finished in the among the bottom five for field goal percentage Three-pointers, two-pointers and six-foot shots are allowed. It would be a Herculean effort to fix all of that in one offseason, so the chances of Atlanta suddenly becoming a top-five defensive unit are pretty slim.
It’s also true that any unit with Trae Young at point guard is going to struggle defensively. Young has shown more effort at that level, but the numbers don’t paint the best picture. He’s increased his steal percentage to a 1.8%, a career highBut his defensive plus-minus ratio and defensive win shares both declined from last season. So Atlanta’s strategy of adding more size around Young to limit his own flaws as a smaller point guard seemed wise.
They did it with Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher. Daniels has built a reputation as one of the most tenacious defenders in the NBA. His speed and feel for that area of the floor make him intimidating both offensively and in transition. He was one of the Pelicans’ best defenders last year and I see no reason why that can’t continue to be true in Atlanta. It certainly translated to the Olympics. After watching his games there, I had this to say:
“His size, active hands and instincts were particularly impressive in the games against Spain and Canada. Even though he’s considered a guard, he had no problem matching up with a big wing like Canada’s RJ Barrett or a bigger guard like Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He can fight off screens, get into passing lanes and doesn’t bite on obvious fakes. Just look at his performance against Spanish guard Lorenzo Brown, who finished 3-10 with seven turnovers after being guarded by Daniels for much of the game.”
His offensive game is still a bit iffy, but he has shown better passing and some small improvements as a shooter. If his offense is good enough to keep him on the court, I think he’s a very capable backcourt partner for Young and should be able to handle the tough defensive assignments that Young struggles with at times.
Risacher is a little lesser known on defense. It was a strong point of his game when he played for JL Bourg in France. As an 18-year-old, against professionals, he showed quick hands, good (if inconsistent) foot speed, and looked very comfortable as a point defender. In the small two-game sample size we saw of him in Summer League, he showed flashes of defensive prowess. He can chase players around screens, defend in space, and generally be held back on the perimeter.
I also think the addition of Larry Nance will help the defense. Nance isn’t the biggest defender and he’s older, but he has a good basketball IQ. I especially like what he brings as a help defender and communicator. Missed defensive rotations won’t be an issue with Nance. He’ll be less effective against big men or faster wings, but there’s no doubt he can be a useful defender.
Given these improvements, I’d say the Hawks have done enough to improve their defense and become an average or slightly below average unit. Daniels will be an excellent perimeter and transition defender while Risacher shows a lot of promise in that regard. If the defense can be average, Atlanta’s elite offense should be able to propel them to a playoff spot in 2024-25.
