OKC Thunder: NBA Power Rankings week 10 – All-Star break edition

Atlanta Hawks:

Week 10: 1-3
Won vs: Celtics 127-112
Lost to: Cavaliers 112-111, Thunder 109-118, Heat 99-109

Opponents this week: Heat, Magic

Offensive Rating: 112.7 (11th) | Defensive Rating: 112.9 (23rd) | Net Differential: -0.3 (15th)

Hawks General Manager, Travis Schlenk was among the most aggressive this offseason. Star Trae Young was disappointed the Hawks weren’t among the teams participating in the bubble and voiced his displeasure asking for upgrades in talent.

Schlenk swooped in picking up sniper Bogdan Bogdanovic when the deal with the Bucks fell through due to collusion. The addition of arguably the best guard defender in the NBA (Kris Dunn) and veteran Rajon Rondo were also solid choices.

Dunn will afford Young the ability to focus on offense while his priority will be on defense. Rondo offers a veteran voice with vast and successful playoff experience. And, Danilo Gallinari bolsters the Hawks frontcourt depth as a big who stretches the court and possesses a toolbox full of assets.

But best-laid plans don’t always reap immediate benefits. Injury has kept Dunn off the court all season and Bogdanovic appeared in just nine games before an awkward injury sidelined him (although he may return this week).

Gallo is experiencing a regression in virtually every major stat category. His point, rebound and assist averages are the lowest since his rookie season. The question is why. Is Lloyd Pierce not utilizing him properly, is he not meshing with his new teammates, or is Gallo just experiencing an incredibly terrible season? Given his efficiency hasn’t waned it seems more likely it’s a combo of Pierce underutilizing him as well as his teammates.