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

Atlanta Hawks NBA Draft prospect to avoid No. 5: Day’Ron Sharpe of North Carolina might actually make the most sense of anyone on this list

2021 Stats: 9.5/7.6/1.4; .519/.505

All series the Hawks were destroyed inside by the Milwaukee Bucks. Even 2021 rebounding leader Clint Capela couldn’t do much to slow them down. Enter, Day’Ron Sharpe. The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder is a call-back to eras past. He has the looks of the kind of interior presence that can wear his assignment down just being physical if nothing else.

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At least, that’s what Sharpe appears to be in theory.

He isn’t always engaged defensively and can get caught watching the ball. The way the Hawks got back cut in the Eastern Conference Finals, that’s a no-no.

Sharpe’s struggles at the free-throw line and with fouls could also be a hindrance. Both could see him taken off the floor in critical moments, an issue the Hawks experienced with Capela in the last two rounds especially.

You’d also like to see him protect the ball better and block a few more shots at his size.

Admittedly, he might be one of the better fits on this list, both in talent and value. Sharpe has shown good hands, even if he could stand to be a better finisher. And his passing skills are highly underrated.

It’s isn’t hard to see him blossoming into one of the better two-way bigs even if he never becomes elite at anything because of his all-around potential.

But that’s a lot of what it is with Sharpe, as it is with all prospects. Potential, the most dangerous word in sports. And given the Hawks have Capela for two more years, and how impressed they were with Onyeka Okongwu’s development, it’s questionable if this would be the best way to spend this pick.

He could certainly shoot up on the acceptance meter if there were to be a move made with Atlanta’s frontcourt. Maybe not so much with Collins, but he would almost become a player to target if they move Capela or Okongwu.