The Atlanta Hawks have known for months where they would select in the mid-to-late first round, and after the NBA Draft Lottery, they finally know where their own pick will land to start the 2018 NBA Draft.
Though the 2018 draft class is not quite as deep and talented as the astonishingly terrific 2017 class, which was headlined by playoff dominators Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell as well as likely rookie of the year Ben Simmons, there are still multiple players the Atlanta Hawks could take with the 30th overall pick that might turn into cornerstone players for the franchise for years to come.
Who the team selects with the 3rd overall pick will likely determine what prospect gets the call with the team’s 19th and 30th overall selection, but the 7 players outlined in this story are all solid choices regardless of who the team grabs with their first two selections in the first round .
The Hawks should be in “best player available” mode in this draft, as they were running at a tremendous talent deficit during the 2017-18 season against almost every other team.
Replenishing their roster with young, high-upside players will help the team grow organically in every facet of the game.
Long a favorite here at SDS, Melvin Frazier our of Tulane projects to be an explosively athletic wing with a solid jump shot and elite physical tools – such as an incredible 7’1¾” wingspan, which was the highest measured at the combine for a player under 6’6”.
A terror in transition on offense, which accounted for 21% of his possessions during the 2017-18 season, Frazier is able to push the pace with his speed and athleticism. His most-used play type, however, was via the spot-up, which were 29% of his possessions in college.
As a three-point shooter, Frazier improved his stroke considerably in his junior year, shooting 38.5% on 3 attempts per game, which was a 12% increase from his sophomore. If those solid three-point numbers hold, Frazier should be an impact player on both ends for the Hawks – and a relatively easy selection with the 30th overall pick.
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.
A tall, lanky sophomore out of Maryland, Kevin Huerter showcased tremendous feel and decision-making during the scrimmage at the NBA Draft Combine.
As a canny offensive player, Huerter could serve as a second- or third-string ballhandler for the Hawks next season after increasing his usage rate more than 4 percent during his sophomore year with the Terrapins.
Huerter would also bring a knockdown three-point stroke to the Hawks, as his 41.7% clip from downtown looks particularly impressive when you combine it with his striking 54.3% three-point attempt rate.
Though an unheralded prospect, Huerter was generally the Terrapin’s best option as an offensive creator and thoroughly outplayed the more physically imposing Justin Jackson (who we still like for the Hawks a little later on).
Huerter’s draft status is still up in the air, and he might return to Maryland for his junior year, but if he doesn’t, the Hawks should seriously consider him with their final pick of the first round.
A knockdown shooter in college, Gary Trent Jr. out of Duke will likely be available to the Hawks with their final pick of the first round, and the team should definitely ponder taking the long and athletic wing with that pick.
A solid scorer in college, Trent’s 6’6”, 215-pound frame is clearly NBA-ready, and he should be able to make an impact immediately for the Hawks as a shooter while also improving his craft in the long-term as a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect – who will only be 19 years old on draft day.
Though solid in isolation, Trent has shined brightest as on off-screen weapon or spot-up threat, and those two combined play types accounted for almost 50 percent of his possessions in college.
As a defensive player, Trent should be switchable across three positions, though he lacks the quickness of the best defensive wings. Still though, his solid frame, good size and generally high basketball IQ makes him project to be a consistent and productive three-and-D wing.
Josh Okogie recently worked out for the Hawks, and as a star on Georgia Tech, he would not have to travel far to make his name in the NBA if the Hawks were to take Okogie with their final pick in the first round.
Okogie simply got buckets in his sophomore year, putting together an impressive resume of 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 2.5 APG for Georgia Tech, while slashing shooting percentages of 42/38/82.
Okogie projects to be an excellent on-ball defender, as his 7-foot wingspan coupled with a thick, athletic frame means that he will be a menace to opposing ballhandlers and should be comfortably switchable across three positions, though his best defensive position is shutting down fellow guards.
Though only 6’4”, Okogie’s length, strength and athleticism should be an asset at the next level.
The Hawks had terrific luck last season nabbing a second-year college player (as opposed to a one-and-done player) in Second Team All-Rookie member John Collins, and if Okogie is still available at number 30 overall, the team should seriously consider selecting him.
After lighting it up in the NCAA National Title game as well as showing out during the NBA Draft Combine, Donte DiVincenzo out of Villanova has rocketed up draft boards in recent weeks and recently worked our for the Hawks at the team’s practice facility:
With impressive speed and athleticism as well as multiple ways with which to impact the game on the offensive end, Divincenzo will likely be picked in the late first round, possibly where the Hawks will be able to take him with their final pick of the first round via Houston.
Divincenzo, like his decorated teammates Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, won two NCAA championships during his stellar college career, though he didn’t make “the leap” until his junior year, in which he averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 29.3 minutes a game.
The Hawks need an offensively inclined, change-of-pace guard, as Kent Bazemore is not the dominant offensive force the Hawks have needed for years. Divincenzo’s excellent 40.1 percent clip from downtown on 5.3 attempts per game will fit the team’s need for a knockdown shooter at the two guard position who can also sky for rebounds and dunks with his Draft Combine-best 42 inch vertical leap.
A ready-made prospect who stayed four years in college at Boise State, Chandler Hutchison comes in with the necessary combination of size, speed and athleticism to excel in the NBA at the wing position.
Though his age (over 22 years old on draft day) and lack of explosiveness might limit his upside, Hutchison was Boise State’s number one options for his final two collegiate seasons. In 2017-18, he delivered on that role, averaging stunning totals of 20 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.5 APG and 1.5 SPG.
He also shot 35.9 percent from deep on over 4 attempts a game and managed a whopping 7.2 free throws per game with a 72.8 percent clip from the charity stripe.
Hutchison can dribble, pass, shoot and rebound, which is pretty much everything you could ask for from a modern-day NBA wing.
Next: Hawks Mock Draft After the NBA Draft Lottery
For the Hawks, taking Hutchison with the 30th pick would allow the team to nab a higher-floor prospect while maybe limiting the team’s overall ceiling. Still though, his immense collegiate production cannot be ignored, and if he’s still available here, the team would do well to heed those striking stats.