In a radio interview with 92.9 The Game, Atlanta Hawks GM Onsi Saleh was asked about his future plans for the team, to which he responded, “I won’t spill the beans on anything, but I will say, no matter what, whoever is on the board in the draft we always take the best player available.”
This should come as a relief to Atlanta Hawks fans, although many may not like the result when it happens.
You must always draft for talent
There are two schools of thought regarding a team’s draft process: drafting for fit and drafting for talent. However, only one of these leads to successful franchises.
Those who advocate for drafting for fit would argue that, for a player to reach his ceiling, he must be in the proper context. A player like Zaccharie Rissacher, for example, fits much better alongside Jalen Johnson than Alex Sarr, who most regarded as the superior prospect. Neither Sarr nor Johnson is an elite shooter. With Dyson Daniels at the two, it doesn’t make much sense to employ three limited shooters in your starting five.
But Risacher is the perfect example as to why you cannot let fit cloud your draft process. (Of course, fit isn’t why Atlanta selected Risacher over Sarr. Sarr was quite clear that he did not want to be a Hawk in the predraft process. Still, this serves as an excellent example for fit vs talent.)
Sarr is simply the better player. Every year, teams get one shot to select a first round pick that can help the squad moving forward. While fit is important to maximizing a player, it is much more critical that you maximize the overall ability on your roster.
If you draft a talented player who is a poor fit, such as Sarr, you can always solve the fit issue with trades. Both Johnson and Sarr could be converted into 4+ first round picks quite easily, which in turn could be converted into another star player who is a more natural fit.
Saleh may anger the fanbase if he selects a power forward who appears redundant with Johnson, or if he passes on solving the big man problem by selecting yet another wing. But remember the bigger picture.
The Hawks aren’t competing for a championship next year, and probably not the following year either. Don’t rush the process; trust Onsi to pick the correct player.