Why the Atlanta Hawks Should (and Shouldn’t) Draft Tyrese Haliburton
By Dallin Duffy
Why the Atlanta Hawks should draft Tyrese Haliburton
1. modern-NBA size
6-foot-5, Haliburton has great size to go with his NBA-ready handles. While there have been exceptions (such as current Hawk, Trae Young), the league is moving towards positionless basketball, a mold Haliburton fits into.
He can pass over smaller guards and defend (more on his defense on the next slide) multiple positions with long legs and his 6’8 wingspan.
2. Pure playmaker
LaMelo Ball is the best passer in the class and it’s not much of a competition. Haliburton likely wins the tight race for the second-best playmaker in the draft.
His court vision and accuracy are veteran-like. He can make any pass needed, and then some.
Here is Conditt with the dunk after the great pass from Haliburton! pic.twitter.com/Ru9rgREiUL
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) December 5, 2019
3. Behind or with Trae
No matter how you feel about Brandon Goodwin, the Hawks still need a long-term backup for Young. But with his size and ability to facilitate and get buckets (see below) for himself, Haliburton could also slide over and play shooting guard next to Trae.
4. Three-point efficiency
It’s no secret the Atlanta Hawks need to surround their stars with more perimeter shooters and Haliburton can definitely help in that category.
He took an average of 5.6 treys per game as a sophomore, doing so at a very respectable 42 percent clip. Those numbers came when he was the constant first option at Iowa State, and may even improve when he becomes a secondary option in the NBA.