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Atlanta Hawks: Checking In On Omari Spellman in Summer League

By Jack ODonnell

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 3: Omari Spellman #6 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2018 Utah Summer League on July 3, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 3: Omari Spellman #6 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2018 Utah Summer League on July 3, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With the 30th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks took national champion Omari Spellman out of Villanova.

He is an undersized center who can spot up from 3 and fight on the boards. Let’s see how he’s doing after 5 (summer league) games in his career.

Omari Spellman has shown some flashes during his summer league tenure. Averaging a solid 8.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists with 1.3 blocks and 1.8 steals to go with it. His shooting percentages are disconcertingly low — shooting 30.5% from the field while only making 7 of his 30 attempted 3 pointers.

These stats are a little misleading as his regular field goal percentage will probably be lower than other centers due to his positioning away from the basket. It is a little concerning seeing his 3-point shot so low as that was one of his main selling points as a prospect, but his willingness to chuck it from 3 should not be criticized.

Spellman also broke out as one of the best players on the team in the Hawks’ most recent Summer League game against the Trail Blazers. Spellman finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 50 percent from three-point range (3 of 6).

Spellman has shown the ability to keep his head up on the defensive end, averaging a surprisingly high number of steals. His relatively low height puts him at a disadvantage when protecting the paint but being able to pick a few pockets during his time on the floor would be a major help.

Many believe Spellman was taken too high on draft boards with better prospects on the board. I liked the Spellman pick as he has the potential to be a bit of a swiss army knife in a 5-out offense.

Next: Hawks Make Weird Trade for Jeremy Lin

If he can continue to rack up steals and start knocking down shots, Spellman will blossom into a great piece off the bench or even starter-level talent.

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