At 18-41, The Atlanta Hawks are currently tied with the Phoenix Suns for the worst record in the NBA, though they have been rather unlucky in close games and Basketball Reference contends that they should have a record of 22-37.
Despite a rather dispiriting season so far for the Hawks, the All-Star break is upon us, and with it comes a chance to take stock and look to the future. Atlanta has two participants in the Rising Stars game on February 16th, as Taurean Prince joined teammate John Collins on Team USA after the Bucks’ Malcolm Brodgon went down with an injury.
Those players along with promising rookie sharpshooter Tyler Dorsey could prove to important building blocks going forward – along with the three (that’s right, 3) first-round draft picks the Hawks have in the 2018 NBA draft.
Let’s explore some possible options the Hawks could have with these three draft picks, and where they currently might land.
The Hawks are currently tied with Phoenix for the worst record in the league, but the Suns actually beat Atlanta earlier this year — giving the Hawks the critical tie-breaking loss.
Though there is still a lingering stigma attached to non-American players for some reason (could be strictly from blind xenophobia), Luka Dončić, who currently plays for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague is as close to a sure thing as possible.
Many might be shocked that DeAndre Ayton is not on this board, but Dončić is already putting up big numbers for his professional club, which already has far steeper competition that features pro athletes and better coaching overall.
Dončić is a basketball savant, and his basketball IQ and feel for the game are almost preternaturally amazing. Take a look for yourself:
A 6’8” wing with a sharp handle, terrific court vision and sweet shooting stroke? That sounds like a number 1 overall pick to me. His first step is explosive, he has size and strength, and here’s the kicker: Dončić is still only 18 years old (he turns 19 on February 28).
In terms of fit on the Hawks, Dončić would immediately make the Hawks a far better offensive team, an area where they’ve been surprisingly proficient this season.
Dončić will be able to break down defenses with his ballhandling wizardry, drive cleanly to the basket and find open shooters on the wing like Bazemore and Dorsey.
The passing skills of Dončić are clearly one of his major assets, and he would be able to find John Collins with ease on the pick-and-roll. JC always seems to be open as the roll guy on pick-and-rolls this season, but he rarely gets all the lobs that Dwight Howard benefitted from last season.
Statistically, Dončić’s numbers might not scream “powerhouse offensive player,” but it must be noted that the Euroleague is much different from the NBA. Quarters only last 10 minutes, and players usually only average about 20 minutes a game.
For Real Madrid, Dončić is averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 25 minutes per game, and he leads the EuroLeague in games played with 22.
To truly measure Dončić’s impact, though, one must look at his averages per 36 minutes, which extrapolates how high his per game averages would be if he played more time per game. Those numbers are indeed eye-popping: 23.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals.
Clearly, Dončić is a once-in-a-lifetime prospect – a basketball wunderkind that the Hawks would do well to land if they were able to get the first pick in this offseason’s draft.
A 6’5”, 225-pound wing with a great shooting stroke, ability to create off the bounce and an NBA-ready body Alkins would be a solid pick with Atlanta’s second pick in the first round.
In 29.6 minutes per game for Arizona, Alkins is averaging 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game and his 39% clip from downtown is certainly eye-opening.
Alkins is not afraid to bang inside for offensive rebounds, and one needs only take a look at some in-game footage of him to see that his game should translate immediately to the NBA stage.
Though many boards have him lower, his skill set would mesh beautifully with Coach Bud’s wing-dependent system, which values ball movement and shooting at all five positions.
Alkins has been beleaguered by a lingering foot issue for Arizona this year, but again, he would almost immediately upgrade the Hawks’ wing rotation, and would certainly play big minutes for Atlanta in his first season.
Jerome Robinson is absolutely tearing it up for Boston College in the ACC this season, as he is second only to Duke’s Marvin Bagley for the conference scoring lead with 20.7 points per game.
Robinson still has an underdeveloped 191-pound body on his 6’6” frame, but his pure scoring and jump-shooting ability is no joke, and he exploded for 46 points against Notre Dame earlier in the season.
Robinson’s versatile jump shot should be high on the Hawks’ radar, as the team heaves up a lot of three-pointers with a low level of success. Robinson would help to remedy that along with the Hawks’ 22nd– ranked offense, which tends to sputter out if Dennis Schröder is not consistently scoring or setting up his teammates.
In college, Robinson has been able to consistently create his own shot – which could help an offensively challenged team like Atlanta.
The NBA is heading towards an era where big men are becoming more and more marginalized. Though there are a few interesting big men prospects in this draft, and one of them, Brandon McCoy of UNLV, might possibly still be available here, the Hawks would do well to stock on up on wing talent to bolster their switchability on defense.
Landry Shamet out of Wichita State would exemplify the Hawks focus on positionless basketball. He is another talented perimeter scorer who can drill threes at an astonishing clip (45.6%) off the dribble or in catch-and-shoot situations.
Shamet is also a focused, no-nonsense defender who rarely makes mistakes.
Next: Atlanta Hawks Players Grades at the All-Star Break
Shamet would increase the Hawks overall wing defense and shooting ability, and his intensity and leadership would Atlanta on and off the court.