With the NBA draft fast approaching, the season of mock drafts and smokescreens might have you confused on what players the Hawks are high on, and which ones just want you to believe that.
Well hopefully this will give some insight on how the big man prospects that are most likely to be there at pick #3 compare to each other. I didn’t include Ayton on this list for the obvious reason that he is most assuredly going #1 and if not, Sacramento will snipe him up. If he’s there at 3 it’s a no-brainer. But on the likely chance that Ayton goes #1 and Doncic goes #2, Atlanta will have a very interesting choice to make at pick 3.
This is a front-court heavy draft with almost every analyst listing up to 6 centers in their top 15. The consensus top 3 of the second tier (tier 1 being Doncic and Ayton) are Marvin Bagley III out of Duke, Jaren Jackson Jr. of Michigan State and the Texas product Mohamed Bamba. We’re here to compare the 3 and find out which one is the best fit with Atlanta’s roster.
Physical Measurements
Marvin Bagley III: 6-11, 235 lbs, 7-1 wingspan, 19 years old
Jaren Jackson Jr.: 6-11, 240 lbs, 7-4 wingspan, 18 years old
Mohamed Bamba: 7-1, 225 lbs, 7-10 winsgpan(!!!), 20 years old
The most impressive in this category has to be Bamba. With such an insane wingspan, he projects as an elite shot blocker and can be a defensive anchor like Rudy Gobert and Clint Capela.
Jackson is no slouch either with decent size and a plus wingspan. His young age could be very helpful with an extra year spent along an NBA trainer and a developmental staff instead of a college campus.
Bagley doesn’t jump off the page as none of his physicals are out of the ordinary but his extreme athleticism is what really separates him from the rest of the pack.
Offense (Per 40 Minute Stats)
Marvin Bagley III: 61.4%, 39.7% from 3 on 2.1 Attempts, 24.9 Points Per Game, 13.1 Rebounds, 1.8 Assists
Jaren Jackson Jr.: 51.3%, 39.6% from 3 on 5.0 Attempts, 20.0 Points Per Game, 10.6 Rebounds, 2.0 Assists
Mohamed Bamba: 54.1%, 27.5% from 3 on 2.3 Attempts, 17.1 Points Per Game, 14.0 Rebounds, 0.7 Assists
Jackson benefits the most in this specific per-40 minutes stat as he played nearly 9 minutes less than Bamba and 13 minutes less than Bagley. What stands out is Jackson’s elite ability to stroke it from deep. John Collins isn’t the best shooter in the world, experimenting with his 3-point stroke late last season so the ability to spread the floor from the 5 position is worth its weight in gold.
Bagley is a great scorer inside, with an innate ability to jump out of the stadium. His post moves are also nothing to laugh at as he has the strength to bully his defender inside as well.
All 3 are tenacious rebounders while Bagley and Jackson Jr. can throw a nice dish here and there.
Defense (Per 40 Minute Stats)
Marvin Bagley: 1.0 Steal(s), 1.0 Block(s)
Jaren Jackson Jr.: 1.1 Steals, 5.5 Blocks
Mohamed Bamba: 1.0 Steals, 4.9 Blocks
Jackson Jr. and Bamba shine in the defensive category, both using incredible defensive instincts to cover well enough on the perimeter and protect the paint like few others.
Bagley projects as a perfect switchable defender that can defend positions 1 through 5, but he rarely showed that ceiling during his lone season at Duke.
All 3 seem to bring something different when it comes to defense. Bamba is a pure paint protector, Jackson a great inside presence with the potential to step out onto the perimeter in short spurts, and although Bagley probably never becomes a great shot blocker, he can be the backbone to a switch-everything defense.
Final Verdict
Although it might seem like the Hawks can’t go wrong with any pick, two guys seem to stand out when talking about fit on this team.
Jackson Jr. has an elite 3 ball that very few centers in the league possess. Guys like Al Horford or Serge Ibaka are the kind of potential we’re looking at for Jackson.
Bamba might not have the shooting stroke (or maybe he does) but if he can become Rudy Gobert with some offensive capabilities, the Hawks could finally have its anchor at center. Being a great defender at the 1-3 positions isn’t as complicated as being the heart of a defense. Guards and forwards just need to try to stay in front of their man. Centers, on the other hand, are the last line of defense while also being the guy responsible for calling out coverages and determining whose man is whose.
As for Bagley, he doesn’t seem to fit as well next to a guy like John Collins (who managed to nab an All-Rookie Second Team selection for the Hawks in his rookie season). If we already had a center that could dominate on the defensive end then I’d be all for drafting an uber-athletic talent like Bagley. But next to Collins we seem to be doubling up on too many things. Both are below-average shooters and aren’t great shot blockers. Yes, we would cure our rebounding problem from the Horford and Paul Millsap days, but we would become way too predictable on the offensive end. Lanes would be clogged and we would be putting too much pressure on our backcourt.
Now if Collins and/or Bagley can develop a realiable jumper then that completely changes the argument, but until then, give me Jackson or Bamba. With either we would clear up Collin’s inefficiencies on defense and with Jackson we could get some rare floor spacing from the center position.
Next: Final Hawks Mock Draft Before NBA Draft on June 21
The NBA Draft comes on Thursday, June 21st. Make sure to tune in and see where the future of the Atlanta Hawks is headed!