2019 NBA Draft: Full Atlanta Hawks Mock Draft If Team Trades Up to #5 Overall

The one player that has not shifted his spot (at least to this writer) on the Atlanta Hawks 2019 NBA Draft board is Matisse Thybulle out of Washington. A noted savant-level defender, Thybulle produced heretofore unbelievable steals and blocks numbers in his senior season in Washington.

Though the knock on Thybulle’s defensive numbers is always that “his numbers were inflated by playing in a zone defensive scheme,” playing in a zone actually has more utility in today’s NBA that it has in years past.

Just look at the Warriors running a 2-3 zone in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to discover that evidence. Beyond that, per KenPom, Washington’s defensive scheme was actually described as “mostly man,” showing that Thybulle’s omnipresence on the defensive end seemingly allows him to play whatever scheme is most effective for his team.

With tremendous anticipation as well as truly elite athleticism and quickness, Thybulle is one of the most impactful defenders in this draft class alongside surefire #1 overall pick Zion Williamson and burly perimeter stopper De’Andre Hunter of Virginia.

Though it has been covered on SDS before, it’s well worth mentioning again: In his senior season, Thybulle produced 126 steals on a 6.7 percent steal rate along with 82 blocks on an 8.4 percent block rate per Sports Reference. That is just wild production from a defensive standpoint by this senior wing prospect.