2018 NBA Draft: 7 Players the Hawks Could Select at 30th Overall
By Chris Guest
De’Anthony Melton out of USC did not play his sophomore season at USC after a bribery scandal, so there is little film of how he has developed after a year of not playing organized basketball.
That means the Hawks might be able to get one of the steals of the draft if they take him at the end of the first round, as his lone college season in 2017 provided plenty of evidence that Melton can succeed at the next level.
Melton projects to be a lockdown combo guard defender as his 6’8” wingspan and 8’2” standing reach is preposterously impressive for a 6’3” guard. He employs that length to alter shots and close out harshly on jump shooter, while also nabbing rebounds very well for a guard.
On offense, Melton has an unusual skill set and would benefit the Hawk well if Melton is employed as the team’s primary ballhandler (especially if disgruntled point guard Dennis Schröder leaves via trade). Though a sub-30 percent shooting stroke from deep is not ideal, he is an excellent passer in the pick-and-roll and uses his athleticism well in transition and on cuts to the rim.
Despite solid mechanics, a non-shooting point guard is fairly unworkable in the modern NBA (as the Hawks would know well with DS17), so Melton’s passing and lockdown defense should offset that lack of shooting – and something the Hawks should embrace with the final pick in the first round of the NBA Draft.