Atlanta Hawks: 3 reasons Alex Len is a good addition

2. He was productive offensively

Despite his humdrum per game numbers, Len was a productive center for Phoenix last year. When he was given the chance, Len showed how reliable he could be on offense.

He didn’t get a ton of chances as the roll man — he only got 1.7 possessions per game last year — but he was very effective when he got them, averaging 1.22 points per possession. If you’re keeping score at home, that average was higher than the likes of Andre Drummond, Joel Embiid, Dwight Howard, Kristaps Prozingis, Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis.

Len wasn’t as good working in the post, but he still averaged a respectable 0.90 points per possession, which was on par with what Embiid, Davis, Porzingis, and LaMarcus Aldridge, albeit in fewer possessions (roughly a possession per game).

Now, I’m not saying that Len is in the same stratosphere as those All-Stars, but it speaks to how effective he was in limited spurts.

Between Len, Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins, the Hawks have three similar players that coach Lloyd Pierce will probably use in a similar way: set screens for Trae Young and roll to the basket. Lin filled that role well last year in Phoenix and he can do so in Atlanta.