Atlanta Hawks: Ranking the Top 8 Lottery Picks By Best Fit
By Chris Guest
Jaren Jackson Jr. – Michigan State
The debate between Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marvin Bagley is a bit of a toss-up at this juncture, as both players have interesting skill sets and extremely high ceilings at the NBA level.
Jackson Jr. projects to be much more of a defensive menace, as his length and shot-blocking abilities were on full display in his only season in college. In our second mock draft, we had the Hawks taking Jackson with the third overall pick, and there is little to deter us from reiterating that statement.
Jackson is young, springy and has shown a strong outside shooting stroke (though it comes with the caveat of a small sample size). Jackson would probably fit the best alongside John Collins, as both are switchable, fast and athletic on defense – and their offensive skill sets would mesh almost immediately.
If the ping-pong balls force the Hawks to pick third overall, Jackson Jr. would be a strong choice. Even if they pick 4th or 5th, if Jackson is still available, the team would do well to take a swing on him.