Why the Atlanta Hawks Should (and Shouldn’t) Draft Tyrese Haliburton

Why the Atlanta Hawks shouldn’t draft Tyrese Haliburton

1. Room to grow.

He’s not a fully finished product, but as mentioned, Haliburton’s game likely won’t have much of a ceiling. He can be a perfectly solid piece for the Hawks, but his game may leave some to be desired, especially for the sixth overall pick. If Atlanta trades down a few spots and targets him there, it would be better value.

2. Wouldn’t help defense

Although he has the height and wingspan to be at least pesky on D, Haliburton is stick-thin and doesn’t put up much of a fight to get around screens. He has also been caught sleeping a few times and struggles with consistent closeouts. He wouldn’t help the Atlanta defense that desperately needs a boost.

While they would be very dynamic and fun to watch on offense, a Haliburton-Young backcourt would compete for the worst defensive duo in the NBA.

3. Best option?

This is the biggest question surrounding any draft pick, so it may seem a bit redundant to point this out. Alas, the Hawks have to ask themselves if a backup point guard is worth the sixth overall pick at this point in their rebuild.

More plug-and-play options like Devin Vassell and Isaac Okoro could both be on the board at that point and would be very tough to pass up on given their positional fit and defensive-minded play.

The bottom line is that Haliburton will almost certainly be a solid hooper. He’s a pro-ready passer and has the stroke to be a 40 percent shooter from deep. Is that enough for the Atlanta Hawks to draft him in the top-ten?