Number 18 is the spot that the Hawks would have occupied if not for the Kirk Hinrich trade. If you remember, the Hawks traded for Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong's incompetence by giving the Wizards Maurice Evans, Mike Bibby's carcass, Jordan Crawford, and their 2011 first round pick. Despite the fact that Kirk Hinrich is a decent fit on this basketball team because of his defensive acumen, shooting ability both off the catch and the dribble, and his ability to play both guard positions, this trade hurts a little bit at this particular point. One reason is Jeff Teague's play in the conference semifinals, showing that it is pretty likely that the Hawks had an upgrade at point guard already on the roster, rather than having to trade for one. The play of Jordan Crawford after the trade is another reason for skepticism, as Crawford has shown plenty of ability to score the basketball and create shots, something that the bench next year is really going to need if and when Jamal Crawford is not resigned. Whether or not Jordan Crawford can score efficiently enough to be a really effective player is still unknown at this point, but the fact that he is young (i.e. should improve), cheap and under team control for 3 more years, while also having an obvious ability to create shots, often useful in a second unit. Reason number 3 is that they had to give up the number 18 pick in a draft where there are going to be some useful players available in that spot.
The topic of this post is to list some players that could be available in that spot who I think could really help the Hawks. I see this draft as one without much star power in it, but is really strong in the back end of the 1st round. Basically, I don't think the talent gap is really that big between the top picks and guys who go later on. There may not be many All Stars in the draft, but I do think there are a lot of guys who will contribute and have NBA careers of a decent length. Who would have fit for the Hawks and may have been available in that spot? Let's have a look:
Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State- It pains me to have to write his name here, as I really think he would be an excellent addition. Faried is an athletic rebounding machine from Morehead St., one who brings endless energy and effort to the floor. In addition, his combination of athleticism, length, and energy should make him a really solid defender at the next level as well. He may not score much more than garbage buckets, but everything else he brings means that lack of scoring acumen shouldn't hinder him too much. Plus, I think he is an extremely low risk pick without much bust potential. Why? Rebounding is the one skill that most consistently translates to the next level. If you rebound in college, you are probably rebounding in the pros. Faried will be no different. In addition, Faried would be a good fit alongside Zaza Pachulia. They both crash the offensive glass hard and would be extremely difficult for most second units to keep off the glass. In addition, Zaza can play away from the basket a little bit, so the fact that Faried likes to stay right around the basket on offensive would probably not be an issue on the Hawks.
Tobias Harris, SF/PF, Tennessee- Harris is more of a 3-4 tweener, but I think he would fit pretty well. As a 4 he would be a guy who could play well away from the bucket, with enough skill to take advantage of slower guys off the bounce. He can probably play some 3 as well, where he could take advantage of his size on the block, while also having the ability to make a jumper. In addition, he tested out as a much better athlete at the combine than most were giving him credit for. Harris is a smart player who has a lot of skills, and his versatility would be valuable coming off the bench for the Hawks. Also, he won't turn 19 until July, adding some extra upside when predicting his future.
Reggie Jackson, PG, Boston College- Jackson has always been a guy I've really liked, and I think he could contribute to a Hawks roster without a Hinrich trade. Jackson has great size for the point guard spot, an awesome 7'0" wingspan that should allow him to guard a lot of 2s at the next level, good athleticism, and the ability to get to the tin. He also shot 42% from 3 this year, meaning he could spot up off the ball (you know, when Joe Johnson goes iso. That does happen occasionally in the Hawks offense) as well if he was asked to do that some. Jackson's main question is whether he is a true point guard and can run an offense, but I think his athleticism and scoring ability means he would be a decent asset for most NBA clubs. He has a lot of talent.
Other guys that I like but am not convinced are great fits for the Hawks about are Donatas Matiejunas and Nikola Vucevic. I worry about Matiejunas' ability to rebound at the next level despite decent athleticism and a nice ability to score in a variety of ways, and Vucevic's lack of athleticism and foot speed would make him pretty similar to Zaza Pachulia. Having 2 bigs off the bench like that would make the bench extremely susceptible to pick and roll actions IMO.
Unfortunately, this is all an exercise in futility, as the Hawks have no first round pick because of a trade that they may not have had to make. For a team that is up against the salary cap, adding cheap assets through the draft should be a priority. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be a priority for the Hawks, trading their last 2 first round draft picks.
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