NBA Trade Deadline: Mike Bibby Trade Worth Anything to Atlanta?

The Atlanta Hawks have improved each of the past five seasons, yet they have still not managed to put together a team that can make a run in the playoffs. Have things changed after their most recent trade?

No. Things haven't changed at all. It has been a nice change of pace to see the Hawks organization clearly making efforts to build a stronger franchise, but they are not any closer to the elite teams of the east after their latest transaction.

We all are aware Mike Bibby has lost a step or two. In his prime he led the Sacramento Kings to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and put them in the conference finals. As of late, he has played well below these standards. 

Bibby is averaging under 10 points for the past year and a half, which he has never done throughout his career. He has seen less playing time of course, but it is obvious that when he is on the court things just aren't the same.  

So who did the Hawks get for Bibby? Kirk Hinrich. When I first saw that he was their new point guard, I was confused. Why would the Hawks trade a 32-year-old point guard for a 30-year-old PG with similar capabilities?

Hinrich averages 13.2 PPG for his career. Bibby averages 15.4 PPG. Everything else statistically is strangely close. They both average the exact same amount of assists per game, as well as career three-point percentage. They are within .1 of each other in steals and turnovers per game. On paper they match up equally.

When people think of Bibby, though, they remember his glory days in California.  What do we think of when Hinrich comes to mind? Losing to Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse in the 2003 NCAA Championship? Hinrich did put up solid numbers in Chicago on a regular basis, but at the age of 30 I feel we have seen the best of him come and go. 

Hinrich does bring leadership to the Hawks. He was voted to be a team captain regularly when he played for the Bulls. Not to say Bibby has never been a leader, but this could be a change the Hawks have been looking for.

I like Hinrich and I think he works hard, but the Hawks did not come out winners in this trade. The Hawks also let go of Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and a first-round draft pick, while the Wizards gave Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta.

Crawford was a much sought-after rookie this year. The Hawks actually traded their first pick, Damion James, for Crawford. Although he has not seen much playing time this year, he has a ton of talent and will certainly improve soon. 

Maurice Evans’ departure bothers me the least. He has never done anything to really stand out, and has been part of the Hawks' dismal bench for three years now. He is also 32 years old and is probably not going to be a factor for much longer. 

Hilton Armstrong is also nothing special. The Hawks will be the fifth team he has played for in just five NBA seasons. Often labeled offensively limited, Armstrong has been reported to underachieve in the offseason; just what the Hawks need.

The first-round draft pick is what should bother people the most. Maybe the Hawks should be a little more worried about scouting and drafting young talent than trading for veteran point guards on the decline.

We all know Atlanta has made some of the worst draft decisions ever. Taking Marvin Williams over Chris Paul and Deron Williams stands out to all Hawks fans. Drafting Shelden Williams fifth might be another fond memory for Atlanta. Al Horford made up for these mistakes a little, but there is still a lot of work to be done. 

Overall, the Atlanta Hawks are about the same as they have been after trading for Hinrich. He adds a little more talent at point, but losing Crawford and their first-round pick might be detrimental in the long run. Hopefully Hinrich will quickly find his place in Atlanta, as the Hawks are on a three-game skid.