Breaking Down the Atlanta Hawks' Best Three-Man Lineups in January
Nov 5, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Kent Bazemore (24) reaches for a loose ball past forward Paul Millsap (4) and Houston Rockets center Clint Capela (15) and forward Ryan Anderson (3) in the first half at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Rockets 112-97. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Hawks have had a great January 2017, going 10-4 with one game remaining. Who has been some of the most outstanding trios?Barring a few blowouts by the Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks have dominated the league to start 2017. They currently sit as the #1 team in the Southeast division and are fourth in the Eastern Conference. Raw numbers state that the Hawks are a great defensive team whose offense has yet to come to them, but how would advanced stats explain the team?
NBA.com/stats has created a tracking system where five-man lineups can be broken down by traditional and advanced numbers. This is impressive in itself, but the before-seen system has also been recreated to analyze two, three, and four-man lineups. The Hawks have had a great month to start off 2017. What three-man lineups have been the most effective for the Hawks in January?
1. Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap, Dwight Howard
13 Games, 249 Minutes (19.1 MPG), 41.9 PPG, 46.3 FG%, 18.1 RPG, 9.2 APG, 3.3 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 106.8 Offensive Rating, 102.8 Defensive Rating, 4.1 Net Rating, 56.1 True Shooting%
Of all the choices, this trio was the most consistent. Of any group that played at least 200 minutes, their 4.1 Net Rating was the highest, and one of only three that were positive. They ranked third in points and only took the fifth-most shots to do so. Bazemore’s escape from his season-long slump helped the trio to be the all-around best of the new year.
Their nearly 42 points per game ranks third, as does their 18.1 rebounds. Their 8.7 free throws made per game is the highest of any Hawk trio and their 72% shooting from the free throw line would be much worse if Howard had not been shooting 62.5% from the line, which would nearly be a career high.
2. Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Millsap, Dennis Schroder
14 Games, 125 Minutes (8.9 MPG), 20.5 PPG, 45.9 FG%, 8.4 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 111.3 Offensive Rating, 100.0 Defensive Rating, 11.3 Net Rating, 56.1 True Shooting%
Even in limited minutes, this may be the most electrifying trios in the entire league. In less than nine minutes per game, they combine to put up just over 20 points a game. Their 12% turnover percentage is second-lowest of any group that played at least 100 minutes through January. Their effectiveness is not restricted to just the offensive end, though. The 100 Defensive Rating is second for groupings with 100+ minutes played, oddly behind Malcolm Delaney, Kris Humphries, and Hardaway Jr., none of which are known for their defensive play. Millsap and Schroder are renowned for their impressive play on defense, and Hardaway Jr clearly steps his game up when he plays with them.
3. Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap, Dennis Schroder
13 Games, 286 Minutes (22 MPG), 47.2 PPG, 47.1 FG%, 19.7 RPG, 10.8 APG, 4 SPG, 2.4 BPG, 104.4 Offensive Rating, 105.5 Defensive Rating, -1.1 Net Rating, 52.5 True Shooting%
The Hawks’ three top players are an odd group, statistically. While their numbers are easily the best on the team, their advanced numbers are not nearly as overwhelming as some other, lesser-used lineups. Their negative Net Rating gives a bad look to the lineup, but this comes with the fact that they are nearly always on the court, in comparison to their teammates. The Hawks were notably blown out multiple times during January, including a 23-point drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. The trio’s average Plus/Minus was a -16, which brings down their monthly number dramatically. On the other hand, these are the three most important pieces to the Atlanta Hawks’ success, so this can only be dwelled on for so long.
Dec 28, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap (4) reacts with teammate forward Kent Bazemore (24) after making foul shots against the New York Knicks during the overtime at Philips Arena. The Hawks defeated the Knicks 102-98 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
4. Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway Jr., Paul Millsap
13 Games, 64 Minutes (4.9 MPG), 13.6 PPG, 46.3 FG%, 5.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 125.5 Offensive Rating, 98.7 Defensive Rating, 26.8 Net Rating, 58.5 True Shooting%
This final trio’s placement on the list is more as a hypothetical than for their on-court performance. Though their sample size is next to none, their 3.5 Plus/Minus leads the team in January, meaning that when they were together, they lit the opposition up.
To correctly understand their potential impact, here would be their numbers if they matched their numbers if their playing time was tripled (13.8MPG):
40.8 PPG, 15.6 RPG, 9 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.5 BPG
This would be one of the team’s best lineups, if not the best. Bazemore and Hardaway Jr. rarely play alongside one another, as they both are usually found on the wing alongside Thabo Sefolosha. Maybe the world is not yet ready for Paul Bazemore Jr. Hopefully, for the team’s sake, they will be unleashed much more often before the season’s end.
Conclusion
The Hawks have the talent on their roster to contend with any team in the league and have many different ways to display the pieces. Paul Millsap was a member of all four of the mentioned trios, while Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schroder, and Dwight Howard could all be found in two of the four. These players were parts of memorable groupings, but they were not the only successful lineups. Of the 31 different three-men lineups that played in at least 10 games during Jan. 2017, 22 of them came out with positive Net Ratings, including 12 with Ratings over 10.
Did the Hawks impress you this month? What trios would you like to see more of? Tell me on Twitter @ATLPistolPete. Be sure to return next month for a breakdown of the Hawks’ best three-man lineups in February!
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