With rumors swirling all around Hawks starting point guard Dennis Schröder regarding his future with the team, nabbing a solid replacement would be beneficial for the Hawks going forward.
Shamorie Ponds out of St. John’s University would fit that descriptions perfectly. Many times during the 2017-18 season, exciting rookie John Collins would have a free lane to the basket via the pick-and-roll, but Schröd was far too focused on getting to the rim himself for his own scoring instead of tossing an easy lob to the extremely bouncy Second Team All-Rookie member Collins.
Ponds would not suffer from that same problem, as his pick-and-roll aptitude and exemplary passing vision should help Atlanta distribute the ball to open players from the point of attack. During his two college years, Ponds showed a knack for making the right pass at the right time, and he rarely forced a difficult pass – only taking advantage of what the defense provided and nothing else.
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Though Ponds is clearly undersized (6’1” with a 6’3” wingspan) and his three-point stroke evaporated during his sophomore year, Ponds will only be 20 years old on draft day and could make for an interesting high-risk, high-reward selection for the Hawks in next year’s draft.