The Syracuse wing player is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in this year’s draft. The Hawks’ need for wing depth and a go-to scorer could make Atlanta the ideal team to gamble on the March Madness star.
There was not a player in this year’s NCAA Tournament that saw his draft stock rise more than Syracuse freshman, Malachi Richardson. Richardson showed the potential to take over games with his scoring when it mattered most, and his stock went from being a borderline draft pick to a surefire first round prospect. Several mocks have linked Richardson to the Hawks because of need and the value at the 21st overall pick. In this profile we will analyze Richardson’s strengths, weaknesses, his fit with the Hawks and make a player comparison.
Strengths
Richardson’s calling card is his potential to be an all-around scoring threat. He has a silky smooth jumper and is a very good shot creator. His outside shot has shown to have legitimate NBA range and he shot a very respectable 35% from 3-point range as a developing shooter last season. Richardson has also shown to be very effective in attacking the rim, as he is very crafty in driving to the basket to make up for what he lacks in elite explosiveness. Richardson’s offensive talent was on full display when he torched Virginia in the second half of their Elite 8 match-up for 21 second half points against one of the best defenders in college basketball, Malcolm Brogdon. His offensive success was the X-Factor that elevated Syracuse from a NCAA Tournament bubble team, to a Final Four team. Richardson’s offensive game is a work in progress but he certainly has the potential to become a very good scoring wing in the NBA.
Defensively, Richardson is also developing. He has shown to be a very committed defender with great length and very solid instincts. At 6-6, Richardson is a big shooting guard with the length to successfully defend small forwards as well. He has shown good ability to read passing lanes and to poke the ball loose with his active hands. While polish is certainly needed, Richardson’s size, effort and instincts provide him all of the tools to be a good defender at the next level.
Weaknesses
Almost all of the questions surrounding Richardson are related to inconsistency and a lack of polished skills. While Richardson’s offensive game has flashed high potential, he has proven to be very inconsistent as well. His shot selection was frequently called into question and his stats showed it. He shot only 37% from the field overall, and was very inefficient with his scoring at times. This concerned many scouts, who question his basketball IQ because of his at-times wild shot selections.
Defensively, many worry that Richardson is too thin to defend effectively at the NBA level. At only 195 pounds, his lack of strength can cause him to be a liability to get pushed around by big, NBA level players. Also, he struggled at times in man-to-man defense and was vulnerable to being beaten off of the dribble. This, was while playing in the daunted Syracuse 2-3 zone. Like his offensive game, the defensive issues are a matter of needing great improvements and attention to detail in order to compliment good tools.
Fit With the Hawks
Regardless of whether or not Kent Bazemore re-signs with the team, the Hawks are in need of wing depth and scoring. Atlanta has Kyle Korver as its starting shooting guard, which would allow Richardson to come off of the bench and be brought along slowly. Also, Atlanta’s success in helping Bazemore and Demarre Carroll with improving their outside shot is promising for a potential Richardson fit. Combining a consistent jumper with his slashing ability would create a very dangerous scorer for Atlanta.
Atlanta’s great team defense would allow him into a great system on that side of the ball as well. His tools could be brought together with the Hawks; great system with coaches that have crafted a great team defense and helped make formerly poor defenders, such as Mike Scott, into solid defensive players.
This fit could prove to be great for Atlanta. Even near the floor of Richardson’s potential, he could still be a good bench scorer on the wing. At his ceiling, he could become a great 2-way player that could provide points in a hurry, and a player that could even be an All-Star if everything (and I mean everything) goes well for him. This is the type of high-upside gamble that could help take the Hawks to the next level if it works out.
Comparison
Comparisons are all over the place for Richardson. Many scouts compare him to Nick Young because of his high volume shooting and inefficient scoring. But I view that as closer to his floor. Scouts who love him have compared him to guys like DeMar Derozan. At a median between floor and ceiling, Richardson could be a very solid perimeter defender that can shoot from the outside and give you 10-15 points per game as either a starter or sixth man.
My Comparison: Morris Peterson