2019 NBA Draft: Why Brandon Clarke is a Perfect Atlanta Hawks Fit

An in-depth profile of how Brandon Clarke of Gonzaga would fit on the Atlanta Hawks if the team takes him in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Though there’s been wide speculation that the Atlanta Hawks are interested in moving either up or down from their #10 selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, they would be wise to hold onto the pick and select a certain high-flying rim-crusher from Spokane.

The 2019 NBA Draft is right around the corner, and there’s no team better suited to make the biggest splash than the Atlanta Hawks, who own three first-round selections and six total 2019 NBA Draft picks.

Such a voluminous haul means the Hawks have a lot of flexibility to trade up or down–but if they stand pat with their #8, #10, and #17 picks, this author would have no complaints with taking a stud like Brandon Clarke at #10.

Remove that one hefty guy from Duke, and you know who has the highest PER (a handy catch-all stat that primarily measures efficiency) out of any college basketball player from the last decade?

That’s right, it was Clarke, who decimated both big and small competition in his one year at Gonzaga.

He even had a signature moment against that aforementioned Blue Devil:

How many guys swatted Zion this year? You can probably count them on one hand.

Using that tasty clip as a springboard, let’s dive into Clarke’s game, looking first at defense.