Would this trade make sense for Atlanta Hawks?
Bringing in Ben Simmons to pair with Trae Young and John Collins would certainly draw a lot of attention to the Atlanta Hawks, but I do not see how they would make this fit work.
Having Simmons, Collins, and Capela all out there on the floor together would make the Hawks very easy to guard on the offense, and he probably would not be a great fit next to Trae Young, given that they are both primary ball-handlers.
Although Simmons has been known to be a great defender, putting him on the wing when he cannot shoot makes him even more of a liability on the offensive end of the floor. One of Atlanta’s best attributes as a team last season was that they ranked 8th in offensive rating.
Adding Ben Simmons to this team decreases their efficiency on offense, but one of the reasons they were such a great offensive team was because of all the shooting and scoring depth they had.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
Danilo Gallinari, Cam Reddish, and De’Andre Hunter averaged 39.5 points per game last season while shooting a combined 42.8% from the floor and 35.2% from three-point range.
Taking these three guys off the Hawks roster takes away roughly 35% of their scoring output from last season, which would not be replicated with the addition of Ben Simmons.
READ MORE: Predictions for Latest NBA Trade Rumors: Simmons, Siakam, Dragic, Lillard
Believe it or not, the Atlanta Hawks will only get better as they continue to grow their young talents, which is why last season clearly was not a fluke.
With the Nets, Bucks, and Heat looking like the three best teams in the Eastern Conference on paper, maybe the Hawks will not make it back to the Eastern Conference Finals this upcoming year. Still, given the strides they made as a young team last year, this team’s future is very bright without Ben Simmons on their roster.
