2. Hawks Need a Better Defender

It’s no secret the Atlanta Hawks are a bad defensive team with a significant need for improvement. They are currently 1.015 points per possession (28th) and that output stacks up better than only the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards.

The Hawks need defenders around Trae Young that are so impactful that they can overshadow him. The arch-types they will need are versatile wing defenders and a paint protection presence. Collins doesn’t fit either of those molds and he actually needs to be covered, too.

While John Collins certainly isn’t the only player responsible for the Hawks’ less than stellar defensive results, he is certainly a key contributor to it. There are legitimate limitations to Collins’ defensive abilities including lateral movement and an inability to make an impact in a defensive stance.

It’s unlikely this is going to change and it’s going to continue to make it difficult for Collins to make a real impact in areas like pick-and-roll coverage, in particular. With a poor on-ball defender at the point guard spot like Young, that’s a real problem.

Teams will be able to run 1-4 pick-and-rolls to attack both Young and Collins repeatedly with little that the Hawks can do to stop it. Even if the Hawks managed to acquire a great rim protector to help cover some of this up, a match-up with a stretch-five would neutralize that.