Atlanta Hawks and blogger-turned-prospect Jason Preston a good fit
The Atlanta Hawks are getting set for the quick turnaround between the 2021 NBA Draft and the start of free agency. The two periods occur within four days of each other and won’t allow for much time to digest all that will happen. It’s not much different now with all the speculation.
On Monday, though, we got another peek into the Hawks draft process.
Chris Kirschner of The Athletic tweeted the Hawks were working out several prospects. Among them, and at the top of the list no less, was Jason Preston.
Preston was unrecruited coming out of high school after averaging just two points. He caught the attention of casual fans when it was reported how he’d gone from blogging about the Detroit Pistons for our sister site, Piston Powered to be the Bobcats starting point guard.
The Atlanta Hawks worked out Jason Preston of Ohio, who would be a great fit, on Monday
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Perhaps this goes to show the AAU circuit isn’t all bad.
The 6-foot-4 Ohio guard has a 6-foot-8 wingspan, a high IQ, and the ability to play both guard spots.
He had assists rates of 38 and 39 percent while showing his ability to score with big games against Illinois and in the NCAA Tournament against Virginia.
Preston was also named the MAC Tournament MVP after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in three games.
He tallied 11 points, eight assists, and 11 boards against Virginia before Ohio fell to Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tourney. His shot failed him in that one.
Preston went just 1-for-10 from the floor with four points.
That’s one of the knocks on Preston, that his jumper isn’t consistent enough just yet; a fear that is lessened by his proven scoring ability. He shot 51.5 percent from the floor and 39.9 percent from deep over his final two collegiate seasons, after all.
Big things are coming for @Treballjay11 but it's been a blast documenting his journey at the Convo! pic.twitter.com/W9HJlPWpdb
— William Laterza (@LaterzaWilliam) July 11, 2021
In the same vein, his length allays concerns over his defense which is in question because he isn’t an explosive athlete.
The bigger issue is his hitting and attempting free throws at a career-low rate this past season. Still, with a workable jump shot and a proven track record of production, Preston could make for quite the surprising but fitting selection for the Hawks when they come on the clock with the 20th-overall pick.
Next. Atlanta Hawks: Grading Trae Young’s role in the teams successful season. dark
Atlanta has a ton of ways they can go with the draft and, subsequently, free agency. But it wouldn’t be a bad thing if Preston was a part of the plan. Especially with the need for a secondary playmaker being evident for some time.