It’s Time to Worry About the Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks are not as good as they were supposed to be in 2026-27. After a 125-117 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls, who entered 1-9, dropped them to 7-6, it's time for them to panic.

Fans overreact. It's a natural aspect of fandom. They're passionate about their team.

Yet, there's a breaking point where overreacting becomes simply reacting. The Hawks have major structural issues, and they aren't going anywhere. If this team wants to accomplish its goals, it cannot lose to teams like the Bulls.

How did that even happen?

One of the Hawks' biggest issues has been allowing points in the paint. Opponents score 52.9 per game against the Hawks.

But that wasn't the issue on Friday.

The Hawks beat the Bulls 66-46 in the paint battle. That makes sense. The Bulls allow the most points in the paint per game (55.8), and they're not especially good at scoring on the interior - or from anywhere, for that matter.

Instead, the Hawks lost the three-point battle, shooting 8/40 from deep to the Bulls' 20/50. Some will suggest that this is indicative of luck more than anything else. The Bulls had a hot shooting night. It happens, right?

Sure, but the bottom line is that a team like the Hawks is not supposed to allow themselves to lose to a team like the Bulls. During a season that's provided more questions than answers, this was an opportunity for the Hawks to make up some ground in the standings. Now, they're just a game above .500.

So what's the solution?

The Hawks' porous interior defense is an issue, but it isn't even the team's biggest problem. Their 111.9 Defensive Rating ranks 13th in the NBA, whereas their 113.3 Offensive Rating ranks 15th. That's the profile of a team that's unfortunately mediocre across the board.

Much has been made of CJ McCollum's regression. It's hardly his fault. McCollum is at an age where regression is an expectation. Unfortunately, that leaves the Hawks without much in terms of half-court shot creation.

Arguably, that's an indictment of Jalen Johnson. It would be fair to say he struggles at times in the halfcourt and relies too heavily on transition. Still, if he were paired with a star scorer, his point-forward abilities would be more easily maximized.

That said, the Hawks don't have to go all out for a superstar right now. This team is young and flush with assets. Someone like the Bulls' Norman Powell (who the Hawks just got all-too-familiar with), the Milwaukee Bucks' Tyler Herro, or another player who can create baskets in half-court sets would help.

The Hawks need a scorer, and they need a rim protector. Acquiring both won't be easy, but unless they're willing to wave the white flag on the 2026-27 season and reevaluate this summer, they aren't going to get far without those two archetypes.

So, if they are concerned about this season, they need to act with some urgency.