The Atlanta Hawks have a peculiar drafting history. The constant changes in the front office have resulted in them having some absolute steals and some dreadful whiffs. The unpredictable nature of the organization makes covering the NBA Draft exciting. That is, until they make a move like they did a few summers ago.
With the 16th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks selected AJ Griffin out of Duke. This seemed like a steal at the time. Griffin was projected to be a top ten pick for most of the previous season, and when he fell to pick 16, General Manager Landry Fields took advantage of a golden opportunity.
During his lone season at Duke, Griffin saw steady production. He averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds, shooting an incredible 44.7% from beyond the arc on over 4 attempts per game. His role coming into his first NBA season was simple: be a low-usage, high-impact wing who can knock down threes at a high clip.
In his rookie season, he looked the part. In 72 appearances for the Hawks, Griffin saw just under 20 minutes a night, where he averaged 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds on 46.5% from the field and 39.0% from deep.
After this solid season, where did it all go wrong?
To the dismay of Hawks fans around the world, Griffin peaked in his rookie season. He was unable to find many minutes in his sophomore campaign, and even when he did, he looked rough. His role was to be a threat from the outside and a solid defender, but he appeared to be incapable of either.
This was disappointing. Griffin had instantly become a fan favorite due to his underrated production and likable personality, but his time in Atlanta seemed destined to end abruptly. In the summer before his third NBA season, the Hawks traded Griffin to (ironically) the Houston Rockets.
This move, while calculated, was ironic due to what the Rockets did in the same draft when Atlanta selected Griffin. Exactly one selection later, at pick 17, Houston drafted LSU forward Tari Eason. The Hawks went with the option that appeared safest at the time rather than taking a gamble on a player with the much higher upside.
Sometimes a gamble is necessary. Eason had all the raw tools to be an effective player coming into the league, and that has been on full display through four NBA seasons. He is currently injured, but his numbers this year have been the best of his career so far.
On the season, Eason is averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds on a league-leading 50.9% from deep. Already a versatile defender and solid three-level scorer, Eason is developing his outside shot like this, which should have the rest of the league terrified.
This is the exact archetype the Atlanta Hawks have been searching for. Mo Gueye shows similarities as a long-term project, but Eason's two-way ability is at a very high level right now. If the Hawks had chosen to take Eason instead of Griffin in the 2022 NBA Draft, this team's outlook could have looked a lot different.