It’s never too early for an NBA Mock Draft, so read on to explore the Atlanta Hawks 2019 Mock Draft After 30 games played.
With one of the worst records in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks are primed for one of the best picks in the NBA Draft. While the team technically has a slightly better record than the Bulls and Suns, the lottery odds have been flattened a bit, so for this article, we can assume the Hawks will be in line for the top pick when all is said and done.
Though the Hawks have had an extremely hard time winning games this year, the young players – led by Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and John Collins – have showcased impressive growth.
The 2018-19 season was never going to be about making a playoff push or eking out victories against unsuspecting teams on the back of stellar coaching and unexpected scoring explosions – like the 2017-18 season was – so on that front, 2018-19 has been a ringing success.
While the Atlanta Hawks might not make for particularly engaging viewing, as they hoist up threes at a stunning rate and also allow a parade to the rim for easy layups and tons of open threes on the other end, all of those made buckets might lead to the #1 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, which would make all the losing worth it.
We’ve previously laid out the best-case scenario for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2019 Draft but read on to explore the Hawks Mock Draft after 30 games played.
#1 Overall: Zion Williamson
The three best players in this draft all play for Duke University. The preseason consensus was that the Canadian R.J. Barrett was the best player in the class, despite what Instagram might tell us.
Well, it turns out that social media was correct on this one, as viral sensation Zion Williamson looks to be a generational talent – a transcendent player the likes of which hasn’t been seen since LeBron James.
If the Atlanta Hawks are somehow able to retain the worst overall record in the league this season, they will have a chance to completely reverse their fortunes over the past couple seasons.
Even though the team made 10 straight playoff appearances with some solid draft picks (Al Horford, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams spring to mind), the Hawks have rarely had players that could be deemed among the Top 5 in the NBA.
If Williamson pans out, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that the Hawks would have a franchise cornerstone to build around for years to come as well as one of those coveted superstars that all teams are angling to obtain via the draft, trade or free agency.
Combining Williamson with the core of Trae Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter would create a fascinating group of young players that would be fun to watch and eminently interesting as a hypothetical unit. That core four would also feature incredible athleticism, incredible rim-running and the potential for switchability and dynamic transition play.
Williamson’s stats are insane, and he’s currently anchoring a Duke team that is 1st in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin by more than 4 points. Zion is leading the country in Player Efficiency Rating with a bonkers 42.0 and his Box Plus/Minus of 20.2 is also first in the country.
Though those stats are great, where he really stars is via the eye test, where his insane speed and superhuman leaping ability make any Duke game a must-watch event:
Look at those highlights, and then imagine Zion playing for the Hawks for the next 7-8 years (or more). Am I the only one who just got goosebumps?
#13 Overall: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
At this early point in both the NBA and college season, all of these draft pick positions are arbitrary and subject to wild change, but that’s what Mock Drafts are all about, right?
Currently, the Atlanta Hawks will not have the Cleveland Cavaliers Top-10 protected pick, since the Cavs are right there with the Hawks as one of the worst teams in the league. Similarly with this pick, the Mavericks are far ahead of schedule thanks to the exploits of almost-Hawk Luka Doncic – which has pushed the Mavs’ Top 5 protected pick into the 13th slot of the first round.
That works, though, as the Hawks are most concerned with the upper echelons of this draft class, and the rest of the picks are just gravy (though still extremely important gravy).
The Hawks already have a variety of rim-running athletes, so the team would need to focus on perimeter creation with this pick. Enter Nickeil Alexander-Walker out of Virginia Tech – the cousin of the LA Clippers’ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Currently shooting an absurd 46.5 percent from long-range with a 66.2 true shooting percentage and 34.4 percent three-point attempt rate, Alexander-Walker is a knockdown perimeter shooter who has also upped his usage to 25.9 percent this year – showcasing a varied and interesting skill set as a secondary ballhandler when he’s not spotting up.
Slide in Alexander-Walker’s malleable skill set next to Huerter, Collins, Williamson and Young, and the Hawks have the makings of an amazingly enjoyable core.
#31 Overall: Coby White
Though Trae Young is the clear point guard of the future for the Atlanta Hawks, one need only take a gander at the Boston Celtics to see that depth at the point guard spot can be employed to bolster trades or just be used as a luxury in the regular season and playoffs should an injury befall your ever-important starting PG.
In this case, drafting freshman point guard Coby White out of North Carolina would serve as a backup plan should Ice Trae ever need to rest or (heaven forbid) gets injured.
White has an interesting, herky-jerky style of play, and he has put up 15.2 points and 3.9 assists per game in 23.9 minutes played per contest for the Tar Heels. Perhaps most importantly, White is also shooting 42 percent from long-distance on 5.6 attempts per game, and the shooting stroke looks quite fluid.
White would add a little insurance for the selection of Trae Young in the lottery last year, and it also must be stated that White would immediately vault into the conversation for having the best hair on the Hawks’ roster — and perhaps one of the best hairdos in the entire NBA and perfect for State Farm Arena‘s in-arena barber shop.
#42 Overall: Admiral Schofield (via Hornets)
Admiral Schofield might not be the best player on his own team. The Tennessee Volunteers count Grant Williams, a hulking and multifaceted big man among their number and much of their offense runs through him.
However, he is not even listed on NBADraft.Net’s Top 100 prospects for 2019. Though Schofield is listed there, he just barely makes the cut at #90 overall. But after watching him take over vs. the number-one ranked Gonzaga on a neutral court behind a career-high 30 points, including not one but two dagger threes, Schofield is the real deal.
First off, let’s talk about his name. Admiral Schofield sounds like the victor of a great naval battle in the 18th century. If the Hawks drafted Schofield, they could easily call him The Admiral without sullying the name of San Antonio Spurs great David Robinson (since it’s actually his name).
Next, look at that frame. Schofield is absolutely yoked and his size and speed on defense would be an immediate factor at the next level – even against much better competition.
Of course, Schofield’s stock might rise meteorically if the Vols make an NCAA Tournament run, but for now, the Atlanta Hawks should take a swing with a college senior that is still quite young for his class (Schofield will turn 22 in March).
#52 Overall: Sagabe Konate (via Lakers)
Though potentially undersized for the NBA as a big man at 6-foot-7½, Sagaba Konate has preternatural defensive instincts that would be immediately beneficial to the Atlanta Hawks – an area in which they’ve struggled mightily throughout the course of the 2018-19 season.
Konate is a talented shot-blocker and is able to use his hulking frame and great instincts to erase shots at the rim at an elite level. Similarly, his rebounding rates are excellent, which should also buoy the Hawks on the defensive end.
Konate was 1st in the country last season in block rate at 15.6 percent, and he has only fallen to 8th so far this season at 12.2 percent. Perhaps that number has fallen because he’s doing much more on the offensive end to the tune of a 27.3 percent usage rate, as well as a newfound three-point stroke (perhaps to improve his draft stock).
If that’s the reason he’s shooting more, it’s working, as he is shooting 39.1 percent from downtown on 9 of 23 attempts.
If he can score a bit more efficiently around the basket (currently 43.5 percent from the field), his three-point jumper remains solid and his block rates return to the league-leading numbers of last year, Konate would be a steal for the Atlanta Hawks in the latter stages of the second round.
Though a lot can change from now to June, these players will likely remain on our radar here for the long haul along with many more. Keep it locked to Soaring Down South for plenty of NBA Draft news and hubbub as the Atlanta Hawks season progresses.
All statistics courtesy of Sports Reference/CBB, current as of 12-20-18.