2019 NBA Draft: 4 Reasons Atlanta Hawks Should Draft Bruno Fernando

Instant Fit

In his first year as the Atlanta Hawks head coach, Lloyd Pierce implemented a fast-paced system with lots of passing and 3-point shooting.

They finished 10th in the league in assists per game (only the Wizards had more among non-playoff teams) and ended the season making 62.4% of their buckets off an assist (9th).

Passing is a big deal of the team’s efforts and Fernando, a very good passer for a big man, would fit right in.

Comparing him to the other centers slated to go in the first 30 picks, he had more assists per 36 than Jaxson Hayes and Bol Bol combined (0.4, 1.2 respectively) and also beat out Goga Bitadze who had 1.8 compared to Fernando’s 2.4.

Obviously the skill gap is there, but that assist count also would have led both of the Atlanta Hawks main centers in assists per-36 last season.

He wouldn’t be an instant fit in the 3-point sense, as he made a total of 4 threes through his 2 years at Maryland. However there is a well-versed history of big men coming in with little or no perimeter shooting and becoming among the league’s best in that category a few years later, guys like Blake Griffin, Brook Lopez and even Dewayne Dedmon have all succeeded in this.

He’s also quick on his feet, ranking 1st among centers at the combine in the shuttle run and the three quarter sprint, and 2nd in lane agility.

The athleticism and passing should more than make up for his lack of outside scoring (which could come soon) and make him a great fit to the already implemented brand of ball Atlanta has currently.