Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has released his latest mock draft and he has added another name to the list of those who the Atlanta Hawks should select. We have looked at the high-energy prospect Tari Eason and the extremely versatile guard TyTy Washington.
These two, plus Jeremy Sochan, are at the top of the board for players who fit the needs of the Hawks who are most probably going to still be available at pick No. 16. However, Wasserman believes that the Hawks will be best served by going down another path.
He suggests that the Hawks would be well served if they went down the road which led to Jalen Williams. The 6’6″ wing has the ability to play both wings and also handles the ball well. His 7’2″ wingspan allows him to find angles on offense that other players may not be able to.
What the Atlanta Hawks drafting Jalen Williams would mean for the team.
The Hawks would be able to develop around the talents of Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter. They are also unlikely to move Onyeka Okongwu meaning that they are starting to develop a defensive personality to go along with their offensive prowess.
Williams is long enough to cause problems and is not afraid to fight over screens on the defensive end. On offense, he has the ability to create his own shot and use his length to get around defenders, using some nice touch at the rim to get buckets.
The biggest question is whether Williams can bring his game to the biggest stage in basketball. He is out of Santa Clara, a college that has not been to the NCAA tournament since the 1995-16 season.
Still, Williams was a leader for his team for the last of the three years that he played college ball and has developed into an NBA-level talent in that time. He would be a solid rotation piece for the Hawks should they decide to draft him.