The Atlanta Hawks (13-12) have started the second quarter of the regular season going 2–3 in their last five. But their most recent win, a 121-110 handling of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has left most with a good feeling overall. And with a couple of days off between games, they can get some much-needed rest and recovery time.
They are thin on the wings. Solomon Hill joined Bogdan Bogdanovic and Cam Reddish on the sideline, though he will be out for the rest of the season with a torn hamstring.
Despite the injuries, there is much to celebrate from this season.
There have been some tremendous individual performances, such as Trae Young who is fourth in total points and third in total assists despite the off days. Still, it is another player who is off to a good start this season that earned the Hawks high marks.
The Atlanta Hawks received solid marks in free agency thanks to John Collins
In an article from Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz goes through and re-grades every team’s haul in free agency now that we are about a third of the way through the season. Among the notables are the Chicago Bulls who received an A-plus after their offseason was largely panned in the summer.
The Hawks earned a B-plus for their signings.
Listed as notable were the deals for Lou Williams to return for his final campaign and Gorgui Dieng’s pact.
But the headliner, per Swartz, is John Collins whose play is making his five-year, $125 million deal look like a bargain.
"“Even though his scoring has dipped a tad (down to 17.0 points per game), it’s more so because of a drop in usage rather than a slip in shooting. Collins’ true shooting mark of 64.5 percent is above his career average, and his plus-14.4 swing rating is easily the best of his five seasons, ranking in the 91st percent of all players according to Cleaning the Glass.”"
Collins is up to 18.2 points per game over his last six thanks in large part to a season-high 31-point outing against the Charlotte Hornets. But his defense has been even more valuable to the team, even before they were dealing with so many injuries.
The article was not as kind with regards to the deals for Dieng and Williams.
"“Williams’ poor defense can no longer be overlooked due to his offense, as his 6.3 points per game is the lowest he’s registered since 2006-07. This will likely be his last season, as he told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks in November. Dieng hasn’t played much (8.4 minutes per game) even with Onyeka Okongwu recovering from shoulder surgery, but he is a capable defender who provides little offensively.”"
Their assessments may be true enough, but Williams’ leadership is still invaluable and he will certainly come through with some timely buckets before all is said and done this year. Dieng showed he can still knock down the longball, going 3-of-4 from deep against the Timberwolves.
It’s still a solid grade for limited work in free agency. And Collins is making the decision look better with each game that passes.