Full-scale tanking at the bottom of the NBA standings is seemingly unavoidable at this point in the season, and the Atlanta Hawks are currently on that path – despite a recent win over the similarly tank-tastic Phoenix Suns.
The Hawks are now 20-45 on the year after a disheartening 4th quarter collapse against the Raptors on Tuesday, giving them, along with the Mavericks and Cavaliers (via Brooklyn), the 3rd-best odds of landing the number one overall pick (12.1%).
While it is unknown how the rest of the season will shake out, the Hawks have perhaps the lowest level of talent of any of these teams, and have a great shot of landing a top-3 pick (currently 38.2%).
While the Hawks are currently tied for the 3rd-worst record in the league, for the purposes of this article, we are giving the team the third overall pick – not the best place to be, but still great.
After DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic are off the board with the first and second overall pick (not necessarily in that order), the Hawks have innumerable options from the “second tier” in this draft.
The team would do well to weigh their options heavily, but Jaren Jackson Jr. has massive upside that the team would do well to explore.
After Doncic and Ayton, Jackson Jr. provides the Hawks with a terrific chance at a superstar player.
For a stacked Michigan State University team (currently sitting as the 4th-ranked team in the nation), Jackson Jr. is only playing 22.2 minutes per game and putting up 11.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game. Jackson has a 27.5 Player Efficiency Rating, which is tops among a terrifically talented Michigan State team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEYYel4oTWs&t=166s
Where Jackson Jr. really shines is on defense, as he uses Mr. Fantastic-esque length as a fearsome and sinewy rim protector. Triple J is a shot-blocking machine, as he is 3rd in the country in total blocks with 104, tied for 4th in the country with 3.2 blocks per game and 2nd overall in the country in block percentage with an immense 14.6 percent.
Overall, Jackson’s defense is historically stifling. With an 85.9 defensive rating per 100 possessions, Jackson ranks 4th in the country in that statistic.
Jackson is not just a one-trick defensive bulwark, as he is also drilling three-pointers at an impressive 39.6% clip.
At 6’11” and 242 pounds, Jackson Jr. has an NBA-ready frame, and for the Hawks, pairing him with John Collins inside would form a terrifying frontcourt that would terrorize opposing teams with immense length and stunning athleticism for years to come.
This Ohio State standout is having a breakout junior year, averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game while shooting 35.8 percent from downtown on 5.1 attempts per game.
Bates-Diop’s lanky 6’7”, 235-pound frame would immediately make for a strong perimeter defender and athletic, quick-footed help defender.
Recently, Bates-Diop put up a monster game against Indiana University in double overtime, logging 24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks and 2 steals in 45 minutes.
With the NBA game continuing to move out further and further from the basket, stocking up on wings will likely be Atlanta’s best bet going forward – in this draft and beyond.
With a tight handle, indefatigable motor and smooth shooting mechanics, Shake Milton has proven himself to be NBA-ready in his junior year at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Though he’s missed seven straight games with a hand injury, his early efforts in the season make it clear that he will be picked in the first round.
In 36.4 minutes per game, Milton is putting up per-game averages of 18 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists – stellar all-around numbers.
Milton is also shooting 43.4 percent from deep this season on almost 6 attempts a game, something that will have NBA scouts drooling – especially when combined with a strong and quick 6’6”, 205-pound frame that should hold up well fighting through the near-infinite number of screens he’ll be faced with on a night-to-night basis at the NBA level.
As long as Milton’s hand injury isn’t a long-term concern, Milton could slide into the Hawks’ rotation immediately and contribute.
The Hawks final pick in the 2018 draft will be a pseudo-first rounder, as upper-echelon second-round picks are often viewed as similarly valuable to late first-round picks.
Depending on what direction the Hawks go with their prior picks, there are a number of viable options with this draft slot. Considering our picks in this mock draft, we went with Aaron Holiday out of UCLA.
The younger brother of NBA players Jrue and Justin Holiday (a former Hawk himself), Aaron Holiday has been putting in work in his junior year, leading the Bruins in the following categories per game: minutes (37.3), points (20.1), assists (5.8) and steals (1.3). On a total of 173 three-point attempts, Holiday has nailed 76 of them – good for a strong 43.9 percent stroke from deep.
If Holiday can keep up that torrid shooting stroke, he should have a place in the NBA as well as on the Hawks roster, as Coach Bud’s system is reliant on good ball movement finding an open shooter — two traits that Holiday excels at.
Next: For the Hawks, Winning Games is Not a Bad Thing
Stay tuned for more news as we creep ever closer to the NBA draft lottery May 15th and the NBA draft proper on June 21st.