An in-depth look at why the Atlanta Hawks should draft big man Bruno Fernando out of Maryland in the 2019 NBA Draft.
This Summer before the 2019 NBA Draft, we will likely see multiple prospects slide down mock drafts across the board, seemingly for no reason — where the Atlanta Hawks might be able to nab a high-upside player at a relatively low position on the board.
More from Soaring Down South
- Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
- Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
- When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
- Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
- Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal
This year it seems to be Maryland big man Bruno Fernando, who began the year in the mid teens to early 2nd round before having a great year for the Terrapins.
He made the All-Big Ten defensive and overall team while averaging 13 and 10 as a sophomore, a good improvement over his so-so freshman campaign (in which he played alongside beloved Hawks swingman Kevin Huerter — aka Red Pepper).
He willed his team to a 6th seed in the NCAA Tournament, and was shooting up mocks due to his dominance on the boards in those games as well as his feisty back to basket scoring ability.
Nonetheless Fernando is dipping to even the late 20s in some predictions, but some sites still have him going top ten.
Here we’ll be looking at the reasons why the Atlanta Hawks should be taking a closer look the ‘6-10 product, with one of their three first round selections.
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.
Fierce Rebounder
The main draw of Bruno Fernando is his aggressive and effective rebounding.
He pulled down 10.6 a game last season, including 2.9 offensive boards. This is where his previously mentioned athleticism along with his strength pay off, with the ability to get past any box out attempt.
He is very violent at times while crashing the glass which could lead to some problems early in his career, but is also very good on occasion.
Last season the Atlanta Hawks ranked 4th in the league in offensive rebounds per game, and adding Bruno would be only strengthening that part of their game.
Once again comparing him to the other centers the Atlanta Hawks could consider at 8, 10 or 17, Fernando’s 12.8 per 36 ranked higher than Jaxson Hayes’ 7.7, Bol Bols 11.6 and Goga Bitadze’s 9.7 as well as Missouri’s Jontay Porter who pulled down 10 per 36.
He is shorter than all of those, which is interesting, but more than makes up for it with his leaping and ripping through the opponents’ fellow big men.
Even though he enters the 2019 NBA Draft as a sophomore, he is still only 20 years of age and can even improve on his rebounding game, which should be scary to the other 29 teams who draft on him.
The Dedmon Replacement
Last year’s starting center and one of the best players on the Atlanta Hawks last season hits the unrestricted free agency market.
That is of course, Dewayne Dedmon, who racked up 98 starts during his 2 years in Atlanta. His 3-point and defensive prowess made him a big trade piece last February, and now that he’s a free agent, it’s unclear if he’ll be back in the ATL come October.
Hawks fans certainly want him back, but it would be understandable if the 30-year-old Dedmon seeks a slightly lesser role on a contending team rather than be a big contributor for the Hawks.
If he does sign elsewhere, Fernando could be the replacement the Hawks need. Although Alex Len would likely slide into the starting 5, Bruno could be the backup center they would have to roster.
It goes without saying that he almost certainly wouldn’t match Dedmon number for number as a rookie, but as far as rookies go, Fernando would be great.
The Hawks would be losing 15.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per 36 if Dedmon should leave, but Fernando’s college stats are pretty similar: 16.3, 12.8, 2.3, 0.8.
Again, the skill gap is a factor, and also the fact that Fernando was the key cog on Maryland instead of the 4th or 5th starter, but it still shows their similarities on the court.
The 20-year-old is no where near the 3-point threat that Dedmon is, but makes up for it with a much higher shooting percentage overall (61% last season).
There’s a good chance Dewayne Dedmon has played his last game in a Hawks uniform, and the Atlanta Hawks will likely turn to one of their (current) 6 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft to fill the center spot. If they do, Fernando has the best chance to fill the Dedmon role that was effective last season.
Sky-High Ceiling
As with any 2019 NBA Draft pick, the potential is untapped for Fernando. One of the reasons he could be falling down draft boards is his boom-or-bust nature, but I’d take his high ceiling any day.
His ability to score on NBA defenders will be a thing to monitor, and if he’s unable to adjust to the taller, quicker and just overall better opponents, he could be in trouble.
What is encouraging though is he’s shown great shot selection and discipline, even when being the first option in college. That should transition well when he takes on a role player position. Last season he took an average of 8.4 field goals in 30 minutes per game per Sports Reference.
If he’s motivated to adapt to the “modern NBA big” archetype and add a three pointer to his arsenal ( which he already hinted he could), his floor definitely rises, as does his ceiling.
Athletic bounds make up for his slightly undersized frame, and has real potential to be a defensive anchor fairly early in his career.
The rebounding is already there too as discussed, and if he’s able to put it all together he’ll be one of the biggest steals of this draft.
The Atlanta Hawks currently have 6 picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, three in each round, and while it’s looking more and more likely they’ll move up, they’ll still have a chance to select the big man, and for the reasons above, along with some others like his free throw and foul efficiency, I think Schlenk and co. should. (All stats from this article were from Sports Reference and Basketball Reference.)