Atlanta Hawks: If Bruno Fernando Can Hit Three-Pointers, Watch Out

A swift primer on Bruno Fernando of the Atlanta Hawks and how his three-pointer could be his make-or-break skill in the NBA.

When the Atlanta Hawks traded up in the second round to draft Bruno Fernando at #34 overall, it was clearly seen as a coup by the team’s front office – who had a first-round grade on Fernando for much of the pre-draft process.

Despite Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk not valuing second-round picks (in the slightest), he took a chance on Fernando by trading away two second-rounders in exchange for the rights to Fernando.

Perhaps Schlenk didn’t want to recreate his one notable blunder in the 2018 NBA Draft (passing on Mitchell Robinson in the second round), so instead he went out and “got his guy” in Fernando.

With an NBA-ready frame and an all-around skill set that encompasses passing, shot-blocking, rim-protection and interior scoring, Fernando should make for a tremendous fit alongside the team’s young core going forward.

However, as with most big men in today’s NBA, there is one skill that will have huge implications for his rookie season and his entire career: Three-point shooting.

According to a recent video posted on Twitter by Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Fernando is practicing three-pointers on a regular basis, and his stroke looks pure:

Beyond that video evidence, Kirschner got comments from Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce about Fernando’s three-point shooting ability:

“Part of the reason Bruno is here is because he’s a capable shooter. He’s got to learn the spacing and learn that 3-point line. He’s got a great shooting touch. He knows how to shoot it. We just have to expand it a little bit.”

During his tenure with the Maryland Terrapins in college, Fernando only attempted 13 total three-pointers across two seasons on a minuscule 2.7 percent three-point attempt rate per Sports Reference.

Expect both of those numbers to rise considerably in Fernando’s rookie season and throughout his career.