2019 NBA Draft: 5 Reasons Atlanta Hawks Should Trade Up For Jarrett Culver
By Chris Guest
Offensive Fit
In terms of Culver’s fit on the Atlanta Hawks if they were to trade up for the swingman in the 2019 NBA Draft, because the Hawks already have Trae Young as the team’s ball-dominant lead ballhandler, Culver would slip back into a role more suitable to his skill-set – a lower-usage off-ball player that can contribute in a number of ways.
Per Red Team Scouting’s profile of Culver, he grades out as a 6.1 or higher in 4 out of the 5 categories they outline, including “movement & positioning, shooting off the catch, shooting off movement and finishing off movement.” The only category he didn’t grade out in was screening due to a lack of experience (only five screens across two seasons).
Indeed, a simple glimpse at Culver’s numbers from freshman to sophomore years showcase his ability to hit three-point jumpers at a solid clip when given less to do on offense. Per Sports Reference, Culver’s usage rate skyrocketed ten percentage points from freshman to sophomore year, yet his three-point attempt rate dwindled from 45.1 percent in his freshman campaign to 29.2 percent last season.
When Culver wasn’t being tasked with producing his own shot in his freshman season, he drilled 38.2 percent of his three-pointers on similar volume (144 attempts in his freshman year vs. 162 in his sophomore).
An active with tremendous body control and soft hands, Culver will also be a common target for the passing wizardry of Trae Young (and Kevin Huerter to a lesser extent).