Atlanta Hawks: Should Elton Brand Get More Minutes?

With the Atlanta Hawks sitting atop the East with a record of 43-12, it’s hard to pick out things that they should change or do better. One potential option that stands out though, is should they play Elton Brand more regularly?

Over the last month or so, players like Ray Allen and Gary Neal have been frequently linked with the Hawks in the media. If you ask your average Atlanta fan what position they feel needs strengthening, you’re not going to hear a whole lot about shooters.

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For a number of years now, Hawks fans have spoken about what they perceived as the need to have a dominant big man. They’ve wanted someone with genuine size and defensive prowess as the final piece of the puzzle as such.

How badly have they wanted this? So much so that they got excited by the signing of Gustavo Ayon, and the drafting of Lucas Nogueira.

Of course, the long-term answer to this need could be a man that the Hawks have already drafted, with 7’3″ Walter Tavares currently impressing with his play in Spain.

All of this misses the point, though. Paul Millsap and Al Horford are Atlanta’s All-Star frontcourt, and it’s fair to say that they’ve done a magnificent job together this season. Every team in the NBA would only be too happy have those guys running the show, and all they really need is an impact player behind them.

Somebody who’s waiting in the wings, ready to step in when the matchup demands it. What if the Hawks already have that guy in their veteran reserve Elton Brand though?

Brand is in his second year in Atlanta, and is, as he always has been, the consummate professional. He’s almost 36 years old, and he’s not as fast or powerful as he once was. This isn’t the Elton Brand that once averaged 24.7 points and 10 rebounds for a season.

What he does bring with him is a greater understanding of the game. Brand was always undersized for his position at 6’9″, and now having lost some of his leaping abilities, you’d have to expect him to be rendered meaningless matched up with the rest of the league’s big forwards and centers, right?

Well, not quite. Brand’s defense is still a force, simply because he anticipates better than ever before. Brand averages 1.9 blocks per 36 minutes this year, and even in a short space of time he can come in and energize a crowd with his defensive effort.

For example, in his last game, on Feb. 9 against the Timberwolves, Brand made a 14-minute cameo that saw him grab three blocks.

Who leads the Hawks in defensive rating you might ask? Oh yeah, that would be EB. Atlanta only allows 95.2 points per 100 possessions that he’s on the floor. Brand explained his new found effectiveness as a role player to Fox Sports at the turn of the year:

“There’s that adage ‘If I’d known then what I know now’ it’s that kind of thing.

“You have to take the ego out of it. You still have pride and you still can help the team win, but you have to take the ego out, like ‘Oh, I should be starting’ or ‘Oh, I should be playing this many minutes.’ You won’t make it.”

That’s the type of leadership and maturity that has made Brand such an important figure in the Atlanta locker room. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said on Brand’s impact:

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Atlanta Hawks

“He’s been invaluable to me and he’s been invaluable to our young players. I think the interesting thing is he’s invaluable to our older players too.”

That’s a train of thought backed up by Millsap too:

“I ask him questions all the time. We play the same position and watching him do it in past years, it’s inspirational to watch the things that he’s been through and any given time he can come in and contribute.”

Of course, realistically there’s only so much time that the Hawks can play a player of Brand’s age. The case I would make is that he should get playing time more regularly.

Sure, keep him to 10 or 12 minutes a night, but how about playing him more regularly than every couple of weeks or so. Brand’s experience could play a big part in pulling the Hawks over the line, but so could his play, if they allow him the opportunity.

Next: The 5 Best Atlanta Hawks Moments Before The All-Star Break

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