Soaring Down South
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Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft Before March Madness

By Chris Guest

Cam Reddish (R) and Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Cam Reddish (R) and Zion Williamson of the Duke Blue Devils Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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Virginia Cavaliers guard De’Andre Hunter Atlanta Hawks (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

#8 – De’Andre Hunter (via Mavericks)

De’Andre Hunter is a clear late-lottery pick that could go a bit higher than #8 overall. If Hunter is not available, a strong fallback option would be Jaxson Hayes out of Texas, but for this scenario, Hunter is the best bet.

A gifted defender and multifaceted offensive player, Hunter would fit like a glove on an Atlanta Hawks team that should be set at the point guard position with Trae Young, one of the big spots with John Collins and a 2/3 combo wing in Kevin Huerter. That leaves another wing spot and a big spot open. Enter Hunter.

Hunter currently holds a lofty 128.1 offensive rating according to KenPom, which also has his Virginia Cavaliers as the #1 team in the country. Hunter is shooting an astonishing 48.6 percent from downtown on the season, though he has only taken 70 triples. A career 44 percent three-point shooter (per College Basketball Reference), it can be surmised that Hunter’s perimeter shooting is very real.

An excellent defender with quick feet and terrific instincts, Hunter is exactly the sort of player the Hawks should be prioritizing. With Trae Young and John Collins as franchise cornerstones, the team is a bit light on defensive stalwarts at this juncture.

If Atlanta were to add both Reddish and Hunter, two projectable wings with good frames and strong defensive skill sets, the team might be all set with its young core – only 2 years into a rebuild.