ESPN Reports:
“Washington trades Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong to Atlanta for Mike Bibby, Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans and a 2011 first-round draft pick.”
The Hawks, after being good enough for the second round and out for several years, are finally trying to do something slightly different personnel wise with a new point guard, while the Wizards attempt to fill out their roster by moving a player they didn’t really need.
Atlanta Hawks Outlook:
The Hawks, with Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams set at the other starting spots, could really only upgrade at one spot. Point guard Mike Bibby was a good spot up shooter, but not much else, being especially atrocious defensively. The trade of Bibby and picks (Crawford, last year’s pick, and the 2011 pick) is a smart one for Atlanta. Hinrich is better at everything but spot shooting than Bibby, and his defensive presence means Joe Johnson doesn’t have to cover opposing point guards anymore. Hinrich, along with more playing time for young Jeff Teague, should allow the Hawks more freedom offensively, as they can run more with better passers, and will have more energy on offense since they don’t need to chase around the opposing point as much. Hilton Armstrong is a salary throw in who won’t play much.
The question for Atlanta is if this trade puts them with the East’s big four of the Heat, Celtics, Magic and Bulls. The answer is probably not, but they do solidify their #5 spot with the Knicks just having made a blockbuster for Carmelo Anthony. They didn’t get anywhere near that caliber player, but it isn’t always what you add, but what you add allows you to do that helps. The Hawks today took away a major negative without subtracting anything huge.
Washington Wizards Outlook:
The Wizards essentially got rid of a player they didn’t need. Hinrich is an average level starting point guard, but the Wizards franchise player is rookie John Wall, potentially a top PG in the league. Having a backup who was good enough to start really didn’t add much that Bibby, who should be a reasonably effective backup, does not.
Furthermore, the Wizards got the Hawks 2010 first round pick, Jordan Crawford. While he hasn’t shown much yet, he could be an effective roleplayer. That 2011 pick is likewise unlikely to yield a star, but a rotation worthy player, if not a starter, would help keep Washington respectable. It’s not all about quality of starters, it’s who gets minutes when starters go out and, moreover, who gets the backup minutes when injuries force backups to start. The Wizards, at the cost of very little, have improved themselves.
Final Thoughts:
This is a relatively minor trade. The Hawks need more to match up with the elite of the Eastern Conference, but stay steadily ahead of the rest with this move, for this year, at least. The Wizards give themselves flexibility going forward to fill out their roster with talented players and lose little. This was a good move for both teams, but hardly a game changer.
