The Atlanta Hawks selected Oregon Shooting Guard Tyler Dorsey with the 41st pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The second selection of the 2017 Draft for the Hawks, Tyler Dorsey is a sharpshooter and he isn’t afraid to let you know either. He shined as bright as ever during the 2017 NCAA tournament, averaging 24.5 points per game. Dorsey helped carry the Ducks to all the way to the Final Four, knocking down huge shots throughout the tournament displaying an ability to perform in the clutch.
Dorsey shot the peel off the ball during his college career, shooting at least 40% from 3 in his two years at the University of Oregon. This type of shooting is something the Hawks desperately lacked last year as the team shot a combined 30% from three. Dorsey can help raise this percentage if he develops enough on defense to stay on the floor.
Travis Schlenk stated that Dorsey could also be used as a secondary ballhandler. Does this mean that Tyler may potentially see some minutes at the backup PG spot? Maybe, depending on how free agency goes Dorsey may be able to compete with Malcolm Delaney for this position. Dorsey will most likely start his career in the G-League but we could definitely see him entering the rotation sometime late next year if he shows progress with the Erie Bayhawks.
Dorsey was already back in the gym the morning after the draft which reflects the work ethic that the organization looks for when bringing in new players. This work ethic can propel him to becoming a key guard in the Hawks rotation.
Dorsey will play for the Hawks in the Las Vegas Summer League and it will be interesting to see how he meshes with Taurean Prince. They both could potentially be starting in the future for the Hawks. Also the Summer League is the perfect setting for a guy like Dorsey. He feeds off of momentum once he knocks down a couple of shots and the crowd gets behind him…watch out.
He will also be competing against two other young Hawks guards, Deandre Bembry and Isaia Cordinier. All three have certain tools that set them apart but Dorsey is undoubtedly the best shooter out of the bunch. He can really separate himself from the other young guards with a good performance in Vegas.
Next: Soaring Down South's 2018 NBA Draft Big Board
With a team that could potentially have 5 two guards it will be tough for Tyler Dorsey to see major NBA minutes in his first year. If he continues to progress though he should have the opportunity to eventually unseat the older Marco Bellinelli or Mike Dunleavy in the rotation. It will be exciting to see how he progresses and the hope is that he can bring some lethal shooting down the line to an offense that depends on it immensely.