2019 NBA Draft: Ranking the 16 Best (and Worst) Lottery Picks for Atlanta Hawks
By Chris Guest
#5, #4 — Jaxson Hayes, PJ Washington
Jaxson Hayes erupted onto the scene as a high-upside big man prospect out of Texas, and it’s clear that he has some tremendous skills as both a shot-block and rim-runner.
As has been stated already, the Atlanta Hawks will likely look to land a big man with one of its draft picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, so Hayes has been naturally tied to the Hawks with the Mavs pick with great regularity.
However, Hayes will be something of a project due to the raw nature of his game. Why wouldn’t the team aim to take a more modern big man that can defend the rim and the perimeter while also scoring inside and outside? Enter PJ Washington out of Kentucky.
Though Washington is generally lower by a few spots on most draft boards, his incredible leap in production from his freshman to sophomore seasons cannot be denied as he upped his per-game and total production in almost all major categories.
Beyond that, he was a truly transformational presence on the court and he almost led his Kentucky Wildcats to the Final Four with an incendiary performance in the Elite Eight:
Washington simply looks the part of a true winner — someone that would help lift the culture of the Atlanta Hawks from “perennial underdog” to “proven badass.”
Though it might seem like a stretch Washington has a higher floor, and potentially a higher ceiling, than Hayes.