An optimistic look-ahead at one of the best-case scenarios for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 NBA Draft. It’s never too early to ponder the possibilities!
With the Atlanta Hawks currently sitting in the back of the pack in the Eastern Conference, including an embarrassing blowout at the hands of the resurgent Sacramento Kings, it’s never too early to start looking ahead to the entire point of this season for the Hawks: the 2019 NBA Draft.
While any outlet could produce a simple mock draft, this iteration is a special version that provides the best case scenarios for each of the potential draft picks the Atlanta Hawks possess in next year’s draft.
So far, the early returns for the team’s three first-rounders have been good with Trae Young delivering the goods with regularity, Kevin Huerter’s underrated effectiveness already on the rise and Omari Spellman providing small glimpses of his potential.
Because the Hawks have such a wealth of draft assets, a potential draft day trade could lead to multiple movements up or down the draft board depending on what players General Manager Travis Schlenk and his front office prioritize.
Either way, the Hawks will have a lot of decisions to make in June of 2019, but we decided to make those decisions for them in the hope that the Hawks will indeed get to keep these picks.
Read on and enjoy the best-case scenario 2019 Mock Draft for the Atlanta Hawks.
No. 1 – R.J. Barrett
In this best-case scenario Mock Draft, the Atlanta Hawks won the lottery and will select #1 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Though Zion Williamson continues to nab national headlines for his singular combination of size, speed and athleticism, there is one clear-cut choice for the number one overall pick in 2019: Williamson’s teammate at Duke, R.J. Barrett.
Barrett is 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and is already widely regarded as one of the best college prospects in recent memory; both he and his teammate Williamson are already starting to get lofty, out-of-control LeBron James comparisons, but with Barrett, there is some truth to that.
Barrett is the rare player that already has a fully formed NBA skill set that could automatically plug into any team in the league and help them on any given night.
A natural fluid athlete with supreme verticality and a lightning-quick first step, Barrett would give the Atlanta Hawks an immediate upgrade at the wing and help to build a culture around himself, John Collins, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter.
A talented ballhandler and capable passer, Barrett would be an easy choice for the Hawks at #1 overall were they to win the lottery.
No. 6. – Romeo Langford (Mavs)
Selecting #6 overall is the best the Atlanta Hawks can do with the Dallas Mavericks 2019 first rounder obtained via the Luka Doncic/Trae Young trade. In this scenario, the Mavs would have to be fairly bad, but not among the 5 worst teams in the league. The Mavs current record is 2-7, which is 5th-worst in the league (as of this writing).
However, let’s keep that optimism shining! For the #6 overall selection, there should be multiple high-upside options still on the board, though the high-flying and inimitably entertaining Duke teammate of R.J. Barrett, the aforementioned Zion, will likely no longer be among them.
Romeo Langford out of Indiana will serve as an excellent consolation prize at 6th overall. A talented scorer with a smooth jumper and terrific feel, Langford’s 6-foot-6 frame and 6-foot-11 wingspan gives him NBA-ready size out of the gate, which he employs as a solid on-ball defender who reads the floor well.
As a solid ballhandler and passer, Langford can easily draw defenders into the paint with his speed and first step, allowing him to spread the ball around in drive-and-kick scenarios.
Though drafting a like-sized player to both Barrett and Huerter might not seem like a bright move, the NBA is moving towards a position-less league, so drafting for positional need is no longer particularly en vogue.
Beyond that, the Hawks should be in complete “talent acquisition” mode – trying to obtain the best player available at each draft spot – no matter the fit. Langford would fit that mold.
No. 11 –Rui Hachimura (Cavs)
This is the pick that is least likely to convey to the Hawks in 2019. In fact, seeing as this draft pick belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers (who are an NBA-worst 1-8 on the season as of this writing), it is almost a near certainty that the Cavs will retain it in 2019.
Sorry to bring realism into this, however! If we’re tossing out best-case scenarios, let’s say the Cavs turn it around behind rookie Collin Sexton (who the veterans believe “doesn’t know how to play”) and have only the 11th-worst record in the league – allowing the Atlanta Hawks to scoop up the Top 10-protected pick that was obtained in the Kyle Korver trade in the 2016-17 season.
If they do, the Hawks should zoom to the podium to select Rui Hachimura out of Gonzaga.
Hachimura returned to Gonzaga for his junior season, but he only turns 20 in February, meaning he will have some college seasoning as well as plenty of international experience as the star of some of Japan’s best U18 teams of all time.
At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Hachimura has great size and has shown a knack for being able to finish plays around the basket with ease. A staunch body, Hachimura would allow for the Hawks to create a fascinating and malleable frontcourt around a rotation of Hachimura, Spellman and Collins that would feature great athleticism, solid outside shooting and supreme switchability in small-ball scenarios.
No. 31 – Sagaba Konate
On to the second round! While the first three best-case scenario selections for the Atlanta Hawks have plenty of offensive upside and the potential for defensive versatility, the Hawks have very few proven defensive bulwarks on the roster currently – even after selecting those top-tier talents above.
That’s why with the 31st overall pick, the Hawks should take big man Sagabe Konate out of West Virginia.
Konate is a gifted and impactful defender, who in his first two collegiate years has averaged a titanically high block percentage of 15.7 percent with 2.3 blocks per game… in only 18.1 minutes played per game. Now that’s production!
While Konate would likely be too small to deal with the immense, hulking size of a few premier big men in the NBA, as the league gets smaller, Konate should be able to transform himself into a capable small-ball five rim protector, which is something the Atlanta Hawks could desperately use.
Though John Collins is able to surprise some players with some helpside blocks and uses his sterling athleticism to sky for effort blocks at times, Konate has the pedigree to truly dominate on the defensive end in the modern NBA. His lack of a three-point jumper on offense might be an issue, but the Hawks should be willing to take a chance simply due to the defensive talent.
No. 45 – Lagerald Vick (Hornets)
This pick was obtained from the Charlotte Hornets on 2018 draft day when the Hawks traded the #34 overall pick for two future second-rounders. Picking at #45 means the Hornets are roughly middle of the pack in the NBA, record-wise.
A returning starter to the number one-ranked NCAA Basketball team in the nation (Kansas), Lagerald Vick will look to continue his strong 2017-18 season with a national title as well as helping to hone his draft stock ahead of the 2019 draft.
A gifted athlete with multiple highlight dunks on his resume, Vick is a combo guard that should allow the Hawks even more added flexibility in the backcourt as the team trots out long-limbed lineups of ballhandling, athletic wings and guards that should fluster opposing teams with their offensive skill sets and defensive utility.
For Vick to truly reach his ceiling, he must increase his three-point attempts (4.1 per game in 2017-18) as well as his percentage (37.1%) and rate (41.3%). If all of those numbers go up, Vick will likely warrant a look-in for the Atlanta Hawks in the middle of the second round.
No. ??? – Darius Bazley (Lakers)
Because of a series of moves, the Atlanta Hawks will most likely nab another second-round pick somewhere in the late 40s or early 50s. Though the exact number is unknown at this juncture, the Atlanta Hawks should seriously considering taking a gamble on Darius Bazley, whose name has been in the news recently.
First, Bazley committed to attending Syracuse University under Jim Boeheim. Then, Bazley backed out of that commitment and promised to play in the G-League, completely bypassing the NCAA system to play professionally his first year.
However, after some canny advice, Bazley (who would’ve been exposed by professional players in his time in the G-League and look far worse because of it) opted instead to not play anywhere and instead prepare for the 2019 draft.
While it’s unknown what that means exactly, Bazley will certainly make for an interesting case in next year’s draft festivities. Since he’s not tied to the NCAA system, Bazley has already signed an endorsement deal with New Balance.
Either way, Bazley was a highly touted McDonald’s All-American with a natural, fluid athleticism that was tied to a smooth, point-forward skill set that was still extremely raw. The raw nature of Bazley will only be underscored after he sits out a year, but with the Atlanta Hawks not particularly concerned about “winning now,” Bazley would make for an interesting project in the late second round.
So there you have it, the best-case scenario Mock Draft for the Atlanta Hawks in 2019. This will likely be the last Mock Draft you see that includes the Cavs pick, since they are in a state of complete disarray at the moment… but it’s nice to see either way!