The 2017 NBA Draft is today, and no one has any clue on who will be available at #19.
With a middle of the pack pick, the Hawks could be drafting a future all-star, or a future G-League player. Historically, the 19th pick has never produced a superstar, but that could all change later tonight.
The new Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk has expressed that he wants the best available player at the 19th spot in the draft. With that being said, the Hawks aren’t looking for the perfect fit. The Hawks are looking for the player with the most upside and potential to be a game changer in the future, or maybe immediately. The last time the Hawks had the 19th pick was in 2009 when they drafted point guard Jeff Teague. Teague isn’t a superstar but, he is a former all-star. Jeff Teague just so happens to be the last 19th pick that made an appearance on an NBA All-Star team which was in 2015.
That was Teague’s lone all-star appearance, and will most likely be his last. Statistically, his numbers weren’t close to what an all-star’s stat line look’s like. That season he averaged 15.9 points and 7 assists. After going 17-0 in the month of January, coaches decided to send the starting core of the 2014-2015 Atlanta Hawks to the all-star game, with the exception of Demarre Carroll. If the Hawks had not had such a great season, Jeff Teague might have never been an all-star.
Before Teague was picked with the 19th pick, Zach Randolph (drafted in 2001) was probably the best player picked at that draft position this millennium. Randolph has made two all-star appearances during his tenure in the NBA, and has averaged 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds. These are solid career numbers but, like Jeff Teague’s, they’re not superstar numbers.
Since Jeff Teague was drafted, there have been some players picked at #19 with a decent upside. Avery Bradley (drafted in 2010) and Tobias Harris (drafted in 2011) were drafted with the 19th overall pick, and both players have an opportunity to make an impact in the NBA in the near future.
Avery Bradley averaged 16.3 points, and 6.3 rebounds as a shooting guard this past season. Bradley is known for his defense but, he’s coming along nicely on the offensive end of things. Bradley has turned into a good 3-point shooter, averaging 39% on 5 attempts a game last season. Tobias Harris averaged 16.1 points and 5.1 rebounds last season and only started 48 games. Avery Bradley missed 27 games during the regular season as well. These two are good players, but will they be superstars someday? Maybe…
At the end of the day, despite the mediocrity the 19th overall pick has produced over the years, the Atlanta Hawks have to cross their fingers tonight and hope they land a great player. The Hawks may not draft the next Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Charles Barkley, or Dominique Wilkens, but they could draft the next Zach Randolph. That may be all the Atlanta Hawks need to help take them to the next level. Teams aren’t winning championships or going deep into the playoffs with one great player in today’s league. It takes a team effort to be considered one of the best ball clubs in the modern day NBA. Besides, the Hawks could somehow lose the 19th spot and move up or down in the draft. We don’t know exactly what Atlanta plans to do.
What we do know is,the Atlanta Hawks fan base is hungry for a championship. Hawks fans are no longer content with going to the playoffs only to be tossed in the first or second round. Travis Schlenk now holds the great responsibility of turning around the Atlanta Hawks franchise, and it all starts tonight at the 2017 NBA Draft.
All Stats Obtained From BasketballReference.com