RealGM Analysis
The Hawks have multiple All-Star players on their roster, but none of them are top-10 conquering talents and their deficiency at point guard and playing out of position at center disallow the team to become greater than the sum of their parts.
While Al Horford's potential would be maximized at power forward instead of center, the easier way to upgrade their collective talent would be at point guard. The Hawks have a well-balanced offense, but too frequently rely on Joe Johnson in isolation and Josh Smith generally still freelances with unsettling frequency.
Improved point guard play would allow for better ball movement and a less densely populated paint to go up against on offense. Furthermore, Atlanta's most efficient scorer (Horford), would be unleashed offensively in ways we haven't seen in his career because of the nature of their system.
A true facilitator who can also hit spot-up jumpers would turn a fairly average offensive team (13th overall) into a team creeping into the top seven or eight.
A point guard who can also more adequately defend players like Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo would be a significant ancillary benefit. The Hawks rank 12th in defense, but have been routinely exposed by opposing point guards in transition and against the pick and roll.
Desperation Meter: The Hawks are get out of the first round depending on the matchup, but they are nowhere near good enough to get past the Celtics or Heat based on their current construction.
Atlanta could use Jamal Crawford's expiring contract and second-year point guard Jeff Teague to acquire a sizable upgrade from Bibby.
More aggressively, the Hawks could look to package Josh Smith for a legitimate center and put an end to the recurring theme of Horford playing undersized at center.
The Hawks, however, are virtually guaranteed a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs indefinitely and a general indifference on genuinely becoming a title contender may end up perpetuating that inertia. We have seen a lot of team make a desperation trade that accomplishes little more than cannibalizing the roster.
