Do Atlanta Hawks Need a Trade to Fix Broken Bench?

The Atlanta Hawks have struggled to get offensive production from their bench to open the 2014-15 season.

In the team's 2-3 start, Hawks starters have averaged a combined 75.2 points per game, which ranks No. 6 in the league, per HoopsStats.com.

And the reserves?

Atlanta's bench is scoring just 28.4 points per game, the No. 21 mark in the NBA. Its 42.4 field-goal percentage also ranks No. 21. Those rankings are down from the team's No. 11 and No. 15 rankings in those categories, respectively, from last season.

Do the Hawks need a trade to bolster their reserves? Let's examine this question in terms of the bench the team already has, the importance of having good reserves and the players on the market.

What's Happening with the Hawks Reserves?

Seven reserve Hawks have played minutes so far to start the season: Thabo Sefolosha, Pero Antic, Mike Scott, Dennis Schroder, Shelvin Mack, Kent Bazemore and Elton Brand. (They were ordered according to number of minutes played.)

Two of these players, Scott and Schroder, have played very well, while the rest have not impressed.

The 26-year-old Scott is in the midst of a career year. Through five games, the stretch 4 is averaging 10.0 points in just 14.8 minutes per game, and his player efficiency rating is an excellent 21.2. 

Schroder, meanwhile, is soaring to new heights (both literally and figuratively) after a disappointing rookie season. In the table below, notice the sharp increase in the point guard's numbers from last year to the first five games of 2014-15.

	Points	Assists	Turnovers	True Shooting %	PER
2013-14	10.3	5.2	3.4	.442	5.8
2014-15	24.3	3.1	0.8	.799	35.8

But most of the bench has been ineffective.

Sefolosha, Antic, Mack, Bazemore and Brand are playing just as badly as Scott and Schroder are playing well. All five have registered a PER under 9.0, and Antic leads the quintet with a measly 6.0 points per game.

Aside from Brand, every one of the aforementioned five averaged at least 6.0 points per contest in 2013-14. None of them are bad players, but each is playing badly so far this season.

Does a Team Need Bench Offense to Thrive?

Before deciding whether the Hawks should make a trade for a bench scorer, we must assess the gravity of the issue at hand.

Does a successful team really need lots of bench scoring? 

In theory, having a deep bench with several scorers takes some of the pressure off of the starting unit, and can preserve the team's stars for a deep playoff run. On the other hand, relying on the bench too much may prevent the starters from establishing on-court chemistry and timing with each other.

One way to look at the importance of a good bench is by analyzing how many points past champions have gotten from their reserves.

	Points Per Game	League Rank
2013-14 Spurs	45.1	1
2012-13 Heat	28.4	24
2011-12 Heat	24.6	27
2010-11 Mavericks	40.4	1
2009-10 Lakers	26.2	27
2008-09 Lakers	29.5	16
2007-08 Celtics	29.7	16
2006-07 Spurs	36.9	1
2005-06 Heat	26.5	19
2004-05 Spurs	31.1	11
Average	31.8	14.3

In the past 10 years, championship teams have been been right around the league average in bench points per game. Although an offensively high-powered bench is a nice bonus, it is by no means a requirement of an elite team.

Considering Atlanta's starting lineup includes a great all-around point guard (Jeff Teague), the NBA's quintessential shooting specialist (Kyle Korver), a versatile defensive stopper (DeMarre Carroll) and two All-Star post players (Paul Millsap and Al Horford), the Hawks shouldn't need an amazing bench to be successful, either.

Who's On the Market?

If the Hawks look to a trade to bolster their bench scoring, they would probably look for a wing with the ability to create his own shot.

Offensively, the second unit is set at point guard (Schroder) and power forward (Scott). Both Sefolosha and Bazemore are more defensive-minded wings, so offense from that spot is a legitimate weakness.

Two wings who could make an impact for Atlanta are the Phoenix Suns' Gerald Green and the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Martin. According to Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney, both are prime trade targets.

Green took his offensive skills to another level last season with the Phoenix Suns, averaging a career-high 15.8 points in 28.4 minutes per game. The 28-year-old shooting guard is also a breathtaking leaper, as the below YouTube video illustrates.

However, the Suns' stacked backcourt rotation of Isaiah Thomas, Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe is stealing some of Green's playing time. Green is averaging just 21.3 minutes per game in six games this season, down 7.1 from last year. A change of scenery to a team more in need of his explosive scoring could be in order.

The 31-year-old Martin is a bona fide microwave on offense—he's very dangerous when he heats up.

Although he's started 459 of his 625 career games, Martin placed fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012-13. His career average of 20.9 points per 36 minutes could be a huge asset for the Hawks off the bench. The Timberwolves may find that Martin's presence is ruining the team's youth movement and will want to move him. Trading the veteran would open up more playing time for youngsters Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine.

Of course, the Hawks need attractive trade bait to get a player of Green's or Martin's caliber.

Atlanta's best option in that area may be their first-round pick in the 2015 draft. According to Pro Sports Transactions, this pick would be the more favorable slot between the Hawks and the Brooklyn Nets next summer. So if the Hawks were in position for the No. 20 overall pick and the Brooklyn Nets were slotted to draft at No. 16, the owner of this pick would get to select 16th overall.

What's the Verdict?

Atlanta's bench would probably improve with a trade for a wing scorer, but the team shouldn't shake things up just yet.

The No. 21 ranking in bench scoring is not ideal, but that has come with five of the team's seven reserves playing well below their normal production level. Expect that mark to improve somewhat as Sefolosha and Bazemore acclimate themselves to the Hawks' system and rookie Adreian Payne returns from a plantar fasciitis injury.

The emergence of Scott and Schroder is also encouraging, but they're averaging only 14.8 and 11.8 minutes per game, respectively. Head coach Mike Budenholzer must realize that these two are the linchpins of his second unit and give them more playing time.

If the newcomers get used to the system and Scott and Schroder see more court time, the Hawks' bench could become a respectable group. 

And, as we found out earlier, a merely respectable bench can still push a team into contention when it is paired with an excellent starting lineup, which the Hawks have. 

Adding a wing scorer like Green or Martin via trade is still a risky move—it could add a new dimension to the bench's attack, or it could hinder the reserves' on-court chemistry and cost it valuable future assets.

Unless the bench starts playing worse than it already is, the Hawks should play it safe and resist the impulse to make a trade.

Note: All statistics are from Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated. Season stats are updated through all November 8 games.

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