Atlanta Hawks: Five takeaways from the first six games

The bench has been great.

Last season the Atlanta Hawks averaged a paltry 34.0 bench points per game, which ranked 21st in the NBA while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from 3-point territory with a -3.3 plus/minus. This season the Hawks bench is lighting it up, ranking ninth in the league, averaging 39 ppg while shooting 43.8 percent from the perimeter and 43.9 percent overall with  -0.5 plus/minus.

The plus/minus column should improve even more once defensive stalwart Kris Dunn returns from ankle surgery, and sharpshooter Danilo Gallinari returns from a sprained ankle. Perhaps the most significant statistic to magnify the drastic improvements the Hawks made to their bench unit comes in the form of offensive rating.

According to basketball reference, last season, the Atlanta Hawks had an amazing offensive rating of 112.6 with Trae Young on the court, but it plummeted to 98.5 when he went to the bench, which was by far the worst in the league. There’s still an expected drop in the offense this season when Young gets some rest, but it isn’t as significant as it has been in the past.

In fact, when Young heads to the bench now, the Hawks boast an offensive rating of 107.6, compared to 122.4 when he’s on the court, still good for the 15th best offensive rating in the league. That’s in large part to the franchise’s newfound depth and a plethora of perimeter shooters. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Huerter, and Solomon Hill are all shooting at least 37 percent from three so far.

Solomon Hill has also been a nice surprise for the Hawks and has emerged as a key piece in the bench unit. He’s shooting 37 percent from downtown on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game, which is also a career-high. After signing a one-year veteran’s minimum contract to join the Hawks, Solo has been lights out, playing in a larger role than initially expected.

Depth and shooting have become the team’s biggest strengths and will be needed throughout the season. Due to various injuries, the Hawks have yet to play at full strength, and head coach Llyod Pierce has already deployed three different starting lineups through the first six games of the season.