Atlanta Hawks: The top 5 picks at No. 20 this century
Atlanta Hawks historic pick guide No. 5) Evan Fournier
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Originally taken with the 20th pick in the 2012 NBA draft, Evan Fournier played two seasons for the franchise before being traded to the Orlando Magic. This is where the talents of Fournier were able to be utilized to their full potential.
One of the reasons that Fournier was taken so late in the first round is that the NBA has always undervalued players out of Europe. Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert was taken with the 27th pick of his draft. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was taken with the 15th pick in his draft. This year’s MVP was a second-round pick in his draft.
If the Hawks do decide to go internationally there are so many success stories for the team to follow. The Hawks’ own Bogdan Bogdanovic was taken with the 27th pick in the 2014 draft, partially because he was a draft and stash.
Next. John Collins free agency outlook. dark
With the depth of this draft and the Hawks’ history of recognizing their needs, they have a good chance of maximizing the value of this pick. That is if they don’t decide to trade it for a player who will help them next season as they are in win-now mode.