Soaring Down South
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Reaction to Hawks Picking Omari Spellman in 2018 NBA Draft

ByChris Guest|
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats dunks against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four semifinal game at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats dunks against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four semifinal game at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

With the final pick in the books for the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, their 2018 NBA Draft has been completed, and it’s… been a mixed bag.

Clearly, Schlenk and his front office came into this draft with a plan in mind, and that was to prioritize upgrading the Hawks outside shooting, which they have done to an incredible degree.

With the first three picks in the draft, the team selected Trae Young out of Oklahoma (rapid reaction here), Kevin Huerter out of Maryland (rapid reaction here) and Omari Spellman out of Villanova.

All three project to be excellent NBA-level shooters, though the Top 5 trade of our beloved Luka Doncic was a tough pill to swallow in exchange for Trae Young.

Spellman is an athletic forward/center out of Villanova who only played one season at Villanova, but provided enough all-around impact in his freshman season that the Hawks opted to choose him over other solid wing options such as Keita Bates-Diop, Khyri Thomas and Melvin Frazier.

Overall though, Spellman is an excellent athlete, and he actually shot better than both Huerter and Trae Young during the 2017-18 NCAA season – drilling treys at a 43.3 percent clip on a 44.6 percent three-point attempt rate.

Though Spellman, like both Huerter and Young, does not project to be a top-flight defender, it seems as if the Hawks brass chose not to focus on that end of the floor in this draft, instead opting for shooters at multiple positions – including current Hawks Tyler Dorsey, Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore.

The Hawks also had the 34th overall pick in the draft, but they instead traded it to the Charlotte Hornets for two future second-round picks. Under Charlotte’s orders, the team selected DeVonte Graham with the #34 overall pick.

Again, this is kind of a bummer, as numerous terrific prospects were still on the board with that pick, such as the aforementioned Bates-Diop as well as De’Anthony Melton and Shake Milton.

Next: 5 Worst Trades in Hawks History

Right now, it seems clear that Schlenk came in with a plan for this draft, and it seems as if he’s successfully completed that plan, but it remains to be seen if it will be a success. No matter what, the Atlanta Hawks will look far different next season, and we’re excited to see how they fare in the 2018-19 season.