Atlanta Hawks 2018-19 Player Profile: Omari Spellman

With the Atlanta Hawks regular season debut in the books, let’s take a look at what the rest of the season will entail for rookie big man Omari Spellman.

With the 30th in the 2018 NBA draft the Atlanta Hawks chose Villanova center Omari Spellman and put the first bit of punctuation on General Manager Travis Schlenk‘s version of the Warriors with Trae Young as Curry, Kevin Huerter as Klay Thompson and Omari Spellman capping it off as our own version of a do-it-all forward like Draymond Green.

Many saw Spellman as a bit of a reach at 30 but his skill set will be extremely valuable in today’s current NBA, being an almost perfect small-ball 5 by way of his shooting and keeping his head up and hands ready.

He comes from one of the best college programs in the nation, that has built guys like Mikal Bridges, Kyle Lowry and Josh Hart. Spellman will have to learn to use every inch and pound of his slight frame but if he can be a dog on defense like Draymond is than his small frame might be a benefit. Developing quick feet so he can at least try to stay in front of all 5 positions would turn him into an extremely valuable piece.

This being his first year in the NBA, don’t expect too much in terms of stats or impressive plays as he just needs to get his feet under him and learn a routine. In the time that he has on the floor expect him to chuck threes and just use all-out effort to rebound and defend, much like he did in the preseason.

Although he might not be a huge guy, he showed some awesome moments during his time at Villanova, being an important X-Factor for the eventual national champions.

I have a real soft spot for sweet-shooting big men so the promise that Spellman displays really puts a sparkle in my eye. If he can be competent in the limited action he sees on the floor then Atlanta might have just found itself its own off-brand Draymond Green.