Hawks shouldn’t fear bench-heavy lineups
This is not to say that the Hawks were against going with bench-heavy groups, though theirs did rank 19th in minutes per game. But there is some evidence that those types of groups – featuring Bogdan Bogdanovic, Saddiq Bey Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu – can be successful, namely around Young.
Overall, lineups with the incumbent Hawks reserves on the court with one of Young or Murray posted a plus-12.7 net rating on 825 possessions, ranking in the 98th percentile. And, when it was Young on the floor, their rating jumped to plus-26 (361 possessions, 100th percentile).
https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1649847447064018947
Of course, the Hawks have added Mills and fellow veteran Wesley Matthews to the bench to help stabilize the reserve units, and those were small sample-size results from last season.
But they are as unproven with this group as Bufkin and fellow rookie Mouhamed Gueye.
The Hawks will settle into a groove with their new teammates. But there could be some bumpiness along the way, particularly early on in the season. But returning Hawks should get more run next season to help supplement what was a potent starting lineup, albeit one that lost a key piece in Collins.
Especially with each of the returning starters having some injury concerns or actual issues in the recent past.