Atlanta Hawks: The 7 Best Young Assets on the Team

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 16: Taurean Prince #12 and John Collins #20 of the USA team pose for a portrait prior to the Mountain Dew Kickstart Rising Stars Game during All-Star Friday Night as part of 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at the STAPLES Center on February 16, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Omari Spellman (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

7. Omari Spellman

The 30th and final selection of the first round is exactly the flier the Hawks needed to take with their last selection. He fits into the modern NBA mold as either a floor-spacing power forward or an undersized center.

After one season spent with the Villanova Wildcats wherein he averaged 10.9 points, 1.5 blocks and 8.0 rebounds in 28 minutes Spellman joins the Hawks with a prime opportunity to make an impact right away in Atlanta.

He has the potential to be a solid rebounding big man off the bench right away for new coach Lloyd Pierce and while his shot-blocking prowess is the aspect of his game that’s least likely to carry over to the pros, he should still be good for a block or two every now and again.

His scoring from deep is what leaps off the page, however. Spellman shot an impressive 43% beyond the arc on 150 attempts as a freshman, and his jumper is clearly NBA-ready.

The Big East Freshman of the Year could improve his post scoring, and it is also unclear how Spellman’s hit-or-miss defense will translate to the NBA.

The potential is there for Spellman to be a solid role player right off the bat, and if the Hawks are able to further develop his game, there’s a chance he could be one of the building blocks in Atlanta going forward.

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