2019 NBA Draft: Full Mock Draft 1.0, Atlanta Hawks Take Two Stars

#9. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas Mavericks) – Brandon Clarke

For the second Atlanta Hawks pick of the second round, the team should select Brandon Clarke out of Gonzaga.

Now, this might seem like an unusual choice, but if you peep our recent Atlanta Hawks Big Board, you’ll see that selecting Clarke follows the logic of that board as BC is the 4th-ranked player there behind only Zion, Culver and De’Andre Hunter.

Not to spoil anything, but at this point in the 2019 NBA Draft, all of those players will likely be off the board when they Atlanta Hawks select at 9th overall.

Clarke is an insane athlete, though his lack of pure center size might turn off some scouts across the league. However, his floor is absurdly high and he would immediately provide a defensive upgrade to an Atlanta Hawks team that was one of the worst in the league during the 2018-19 season. An incredible shot-blocker, Clarke has impeccable timing on defense:

Before the draft lottery occurs, there’s no talent where the Atlanta Hawks will land. Beforehand, however, Clarke provides a Zion-lite athleticism and feel that is almost unparalleled among this draft class. When one begins to ponder the 2019-20 Atlanta Hawks, led by the galloping rim-runners John Collins and Brandon Clarke and flanked by versatile passers and shooters Trae Young and Kevin Huerter, the sky would seemingly be the limit.

And remember, this is just the first Atlanta Hawks pick in this draft!

(Disclaimer: If Dallas moves up into the Top 5 of the lottery, the Atlanta Hawks will not have this pick. With the Pels, Grizz, and Mavs all tied with a 33-49 record, a tiebreaker took place yesterday to determine the “floor” of this pick. We now know this pick will be between 9 and 13.)