We have been quit high on Rawle Alkins out of Arizona for some time, and we still feel that his upside is stupendously high.
Though his draft stock has fallen considerably over the past few months, Alkins’ combination of size, athleticism and non-stop motor should be extremely attractive to the Hawks, as they will be looking at improving in any way they can with their final pick of the 2018 Draft, and perhaps papering over any flaws with the other players they’ve selected prior to #34 overall.
The college numbers for Alkins weren’t eye-popping in his sophomore season, and he did have lingering injury concerns at the tail end of his season, which the Hawks must thoroughly research before selecting Alkins here.
However, if his medical report is clear, Alkins would provide a strong shooting form to the team as well an impressively chiseled frame that he’s not afraid to throw around in the painted area. Alkins was consistent in mixing it up with bigger defenders, and he frequently employed his strength to get to the rim against larger big men.
Against smaller players, Alkins used his size and strength with ruthless success via the post-up, something he should be able to do at the next level as well.