15 Non-Lottery Draft Pick Options for Atlanta Hawks
By Chris Guest
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Nabbing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might be something of a pipe dream for the Hawks, as he is expected to be selected right at the tail end of the lottery in the mid-first round.
SGA was the clear leader for a Kentucky team that looked to be in prime position for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament after top seed Virginia was knocked out. Of course, it was not to be (for either team), but Shai catapulted himself into the spotlight after an amazing freshman year.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished the season as Kentucky’s primary ballhandler and excelled in that role, finishing with a 21.3 PER, a 57.9 true shooting percentage, 40.4 percent from three and averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 1248 total minutes for Coach Cal.
Clearly ready for the NBA after one season, SGA’s all-around physical tools and smooth ballhandling, shooting and finishing means that Atlanta might not get the chance to select him at 19. If he’s still on the board, though, the team should jump at the chance to nab him.