Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft: 5 players to avoid with the 20th pick

Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft prospect to avoid No. 2: Ayo Dosunmo did a lot of things well at Illinois, but might lack a definitive skill

2021 Stats: 20.1/6.3/5.3; .488/.390/.783

Most mocks have Ayo Dosunmo falling to the second round, where he would quite honestly be a steal. But there are some outlets that have him creeping up in the first round and some fan sentiment growing behind the idea. When you see his stats from this season and remember all of the success the Illini have had in his time there, it’s easy to get enamored.

But despite fitting the bill in so many ways — his physical profile and ability to function as a facilitator being the top two — he still falls short enough in key areas to warrant passing at 20.

Read that last part again because Dosunmo improved every year and was the heart and soul of a program that went seven years between NCAA Tournament appearances. He was a consensus All American, two-times All-Big Ten, First Team All-Big Ten Tournament, and Cousy Awar winner on top of many others.

Leadership is one of the most important things in sports and the hardest to quantify. Perhaps the team’s win total increasing right along with Dosunmo’s improvement does it.

That still doesn’t mean Atlanta should pull the trigger on the highly-decorated guard at 20. Not when there are questions about his jumper and athleticism.

The pros are a different game and while Dosunmo shows impressive toughness and effort, the lack of an “elite” skill might ultimately limit his ceiling. But this is the prime example of the player they should definitely be interested in at a later stage of the draft. Maybe if they wind up trading back or snag an additional second-rounder earlier than their own.

If he did wind up as the Hawks selection, it wouldn’t be the worst pick. Again, he checks so many boxes on the list of needs for this roster. Ideally, though, you would get someone with something more tangible to add to an already solid group.