3 Takeaways: Atlanta Hawks lackluster performance in loss to Magic

It may be time to give Alex Len a few starts

As it is for any rebuilding team, the number one concern for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018-19 season is evaluating exactly what they have on their roster, so as to help influence their draft and free agency decisions. And if the Hawks are looking at a bevy of NCAA bigs with 3-point range as draft possibilities, then Dewayne Dedmon starting games makes tons of sense. But if the Hawks picture a rim-runner as the ideal center in their lineup, then inserting Alex Len back into starting lineup will be do wonders for them.

Atlanta is one of the team’s that will benefit most from the new, flattened lottery odds. They are valuing player development over everything, and the rapid improvement of some of their prospects is sure to net them a few more wins they expected. But with the new odds, the Hawks only need to finish in the bottom-five teams in the league to have at least a 10.5% chance at the No. 1 pick. So the success of the Len-Collins frontcourt should not stop the Hawks from giving him more burn (not that that is the case now).

The Len-Collins duo has +10 net rating, bolstered by an awesome 35.2% rebound rate and impressive 97.7 defensive rating.

Len also has the best block rate on the team per Cleaning the Glass (which filters out garbage time) at 2.5%. And while Collins and Dedmon each commit 3.3 personal fouls per game, Len is at 2.4 fouls per game, and again this is while providing much more sufficient rim protection.

In terms of the future, Len has one more year on his deal after this season, while Dedmon is on an expiring contract.

So at the end of the day, Dedmon receiving more starts is probably about trying to get some return on your investment, help (in good faith) Dedmon showcase his skills for his next contract, his superior (to Len) 3-point shooting, or likely a combination of all three.

But if the Hawks want to get a look at what next year’s best lineup could look like, they should give Len more starts, or at least more playing time.

In his first year with the Atlanta Hawks, Len is working on expanding his range to the 3-point line. His best month shooting from deep was November, when he shot 34.4% from 3-point range on 32 total attempts. In February, he is up to 42.9% from 3-point range. That high of a figure is unsustainable for Len, especially if he increases the volume of attempts the way needs to to truly become a perimeter threat.

Simply put, Len’s game has much more to be discovered, whereas Dedmon is your classic-Gregg Popovich-influenced finish product. It’s time to let Len linger on the floor and continue to foster a sense camaraderie with the Hawks’ younger prospects.

All stats provided via NBA.com, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.