The Atlanta Hawks have been a big disappointment thus far this season. On Sunday, the Hawks dropped another game to the New Orleans Pelicans, 117-112. With the loss, the Hawks fell back below .500 at 35-36. That's a far cry from the eastern conference finals they reached last season. Hawks veteran forward has a theory on exactly what the team is lacking, captured by The Athletic's Hawks beat reporter Chris Kirschner.

Gallinari talked about Atlanta's inability to play every game with playoff intensity. When asked why, Gallinari responded: “I don't know. If I had the answer, we would have fixed it. I think mentally we need to be tougher. I think the ups and downs are more mental than anything else.”

That could certainly speak to the inconsistency of the Hawks. At times this season, they look like they can play with and beat just about anyone. Other times, they look foolish playing against teams like the Detroit Pistons or San Antonio Spurs.

During November, the Hawks at one point lost six straight games. Then they reeled off seven straight wins, only to lose five of the next seven. No consistency. In early January, the same thing happened again. The Hawks lost five straight, then won seven straight. Atlanta followed up with five losses over the next seven games.

Even individual play has been inconsistent. Guard/forward combo Bogdan Bogdanovic and young guard De'Andre Hunter have been all over the map. One night, one of them plays exceptionally well while the other is a ghost. Then, they trade roles the next game.

It's possible that Gallinari is right, and it's just a mental issue for this team. The Hawks don't have much time to figure it out. There are 11 games left in the regular season and Atlanta is clinging to the final play-in spot.