Four Possible NBA Draft Steals for the Atlanta Hawks

Kevin Knox

Hamidou Diallo’s teammate Kevin Knox is a tantalizing Kentucky freshman forward who is projected to go in the late lottery. A strong shooter, Knox is also one of the youngest players in this draft, and he will still be 18 when the draft occurs in June – though he will just turn 19 when the season starts proper.

Knox should be able to come into the league and immediately make an impact as a stretch four, as his knockdown jump shooting ability is widely valuable in the NBA’s pace-and-space era. Not only that, but Knox’s innate athleticism and impressive size and bulk means that he projects to be a forceful and switchable defender.

Sure, he didn’t showcase strong instincts on the less glamorous end (nor much effort), but a 51/34/77 slash line from a 6’9”, 215-pound power forward is hard to deny.

Pairing Knox with players on the Hawks current roster makes for some interesting lineups. Shuffling likely First Team All-Rookie member John Collins over to center and letting Knox roam free as a stretch four is a tantalizing prospect, as is having two shooting big men on the floor if Mike Muscala plays the five.

Though it is unlikely that Knox falls all the way to 19, the Hawks would possibly have the steal of the draft at that number if he did.