. After the dust has settled, and sixty players heard their names called Thursday evening, it's only right that I discuss not only my favorite NBA team, but also the team that arguably the franchise with the highest amount of potential.
After a late draft day trade with New Orleans to move up to the fourth overall slot, the Atlanta Hawks had the 4th, 10th, and 57th picks. With their first lottery pick, they selected guard DeAndre Hunter, a defensive anchor who helped lead Virginia to a national championship. His 7'2 wingspan along with a solid 15 points per game will be a boost, especially on the defensive end, where Hawks ranked among the league's worst.
Atlanta followed up by selected Duke forward Cam Reddish, who surprisingly slipped a few spots after being projected closer to the top seven. After performing as the proverbial third wheel to Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, his athleticism and his 6'9 frame is viewed by many as the ideal build for today's NBA. Many scouts also consider Reddish one of the biggest steals of the draft, and playing with Trae Young will only help showcase the talents that were shown in glimpses during his freshman year.
With their last selection in this year's draft, the Hawks go with 6'10 center Bruno Fernando out of Maryland. This selection hopefully provides a solution to the only remaining gray area. Dewayne Dedmon and Alex Len actually did a solid job, but I don't think either is a part of the long term plan for the franchise; you can' even count Miles Plumlee and his awful contract; and even though John Collins has good size with elite athleticism, he is not a rim protector. Fernando is coming off a season where he averaged 10 rebounds and almost two blocks per game. Pair him with another defender in Hunter, and the team defense almost instantly improves.
In addition to all the positives that comes with a strong young core and a bright future, they still have some questions to answer. Here's how the Hawks roster shapes up as of today:
Guards: Young, Jaylen Adams,
Wings: Kent Bazemore, Justin Anderson, Allen Crabbe (included in the Taurean Prince), DeAndre Bembry, Vince Carter, Hunter, Reddish and Kevin Huerter
Bigs: Solomon Hill (New Orleans trade), Alex Poythress, Collins, Len, Dedmon, Fernando, Plumlee, Omari Spellman and Isaac Humphries.
It's a logjam in the frontcourt. Travis Schlenk and the front office wants the young talent to mesh and grow, but that won't happen with an overabundance of veterans. Humphries, Carter, Anderson and Dedmon all had expiring contracts this past season, and at the moment the only one I can possibly see returning is Dedmon, who would be a great mentor to the young Fernando. Poythress is on a two-way contract. so he'll most likely return to the NBA G-League if there isn't space for him. Plumlee's contract makes it nearly impossible to move him, but it'll be easier to stomach since he's now on an expiring contract.
Unfortunately, for Bembry, Solomon Hill, Alex Len and Crabbe, if they are on the roster come opening day, they may fall victim to falling into obscurity, or being released altogether. Bembry, who was drafted in 2016, may luck out assuming point-forward duties behind Young, but I doubt that Hill, and even Crabbe and Len, will receive any real minutes, provided they aren't moved beforehand.
The two players I find most intriguing are the veterans that pose the biggest conflict: Omari Spellman and Kent Bazemore. The former had a solid rookie season, averaging six points and four boards on 40 percent shooting. Spellman was lost in the shuffle, not really getting any attention behind the flashy play of Collins and Young. That said, he should get more minutes going forward, especially with the ensuing roster overhaul. Besides Collins, it's hard to argue against Spellman when you consider his floor and his ceiling.
The latter finds himself in a tricky situation: He makes too much money (currently the highest paid on the roster, according to Basketball Reference) and plays too well to just let sit on the bench, but him playing would slow the development of the rookies behind him. He's averaged 10 PPG in his five years with the Hawks, during a time where we knew they were abysmal. It would be in the interests of both to find a trade to a contender, namely a team Baze used to call home, Los Angeles. Either way, he's gonna get minutes, whether it's here or elsewhere.
Overall, the Hawks are in great position, for now and the future. No longer are they just sitting at the bottom. They have everything you need to win a title in Today's NBA, and if everyone develops and grows, they will be a bonafide contender sooner than later.
Stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference
Mason Smith is a student at Alabama State University, and a writer for his school newspaper, The Hornet Tribune. The articles are in an effort to improve his writing skills and to be better prepared for work after graduation, where he hopes to earn a writer/editor position.
After a late draft day trade with New Orleans to move up to the fourth overall slot, the Atlanta Hawks had the 4th, 10th, and 57th picks. With their first lottery pick, they selected guard DeAndre Hunter, a defensive anchor who helped lead Virginia to a national championship. His 7'2 wingspan along with a solid 15 points per game will be a boost, especially on the defensive end, where Hawks ranked among the league's worst.
Atlanta followed up by selected Duke forward Cam Reddish, who surprisingly slipped a few spots after being projected closer to the top seven. After performing as the proverbial third wheel to Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett, his athleticism and his 6'9 frame is viewed by many as the ideal build for today's NBA. Many scouts also consider Reddish one of the biggest steals of the draft, and playing with Trae Young will only help showcase the talents that were shown in glimpses during his freshman year.
With their last selection in this year's draft, the Hawks go with 6'10 center Bruno Fernando out of Maryland. This selection hopefully provides a solution to the only remaining gray area. Dewayne Dedmon and Alex Len actually did a solid job, but I don't think either is a part of the long term plan for the franchise; you can' even count Miles Plumlee and his awful contract; and even though John Collins has good size with elite athleticism, he is not a rim protector. Fernando is coming off a season where he averaged 10 rebounds and almost two blocks per game. Pair him with another defender in Hunter, and the team defense almost instantly improves.
In addition to all the positives that comes with a strong young core and a bright future, they still have some questions to answer. Here's how the Hawks roster shapes up as of today:
Guards: Young, Jaylen Adams,
Wings: Kent Bazemore, Justin Anderson, Allen Crabbe (included in the Taurean Prince), DeAndre Bembry, Vince Carter, Hunter, Reddish and Kevin Huerter
Bigs: Solomon Hill (New Orleans trade), Alex Poythress, Collins, Len, Dedmon, Fernando, Plumlee, Omari Spellman and Isaac Humphries.
It's a logjam in the frontcourt. Travis Schlenk and the front office wants the young talent to mesh and grow, but that won't happen with an overabundance of veterans. Humphries, Carter, Anderson and Dedmon all had expiring contracts this past season, and at the moment the only one I can possibly see returning is Dedmon, who would be a great mentor to the young Fernando. Poythress is on a two-way contract. so he'll most likely return to the NBA G-League if there isn't space for him. Plumlee's contract makes it nearly impossible to move him, but it'll be easier to stomach since he's now on an expiring contract.
Unfortunately, for Bembry, Solomon Hill, Alex Len and Crabbe, if they are on the roster come opening day, they may fall victim to falling into obscurity, or being released altogether. Bembry, who was drafted in 2016, may luck out assuming point-forward duties behind Young, but I doubt that Hill, and even Crabbe and Len, will receive any real minutes, provided they aren't moved beforehand.
The two players I find most intriguing are the veterans that pose the biggest conflict: Omari Spellman and Kent Bazemore. The former had a solid rookie season, averaging six points and four boards on 40 percent shooting. Spellman was lost in the shuffle, not really getting any attention behind the flashy play of Collins and Young. That said, he should get more minutes going forward, especially with the ensuing roster overhaul. Besides Collins, it's hard to argue against Spellman when you consider his floor and his ceiling.
The latter finds himself in a tricky situation: He makes too much money (currently the highest paid on the roster, according to Basketball Reference) and plays too well to just let sit on the bench, but him playing would slow the development of the rookies behind him. He's averaged 10 PPG in his five years with the Hawks, during a time where we knew they were abysmal. It would be in the interests of both to find a trade to a contender, namely a team Baze used to call home, Los Angeles. Either way, he's gonna get minutes, whether it's here or elsewhere.
Overall, the Hawks are in great position, for now and the future. No longer are they just sitting at the bottom. They have everything you need to win a title in Today's NBA, and if everyone develops and grows, they will be a bonafide contender sooner than later.
Stats are courtesy of Basketball Reference
Mason Smith is a student at Alabama State University, and a writer for his school newspaper, The Hornet Tribune. The articles are in an effort to improve his writing skills and to be better prepared for work after graduation, where he hopes to earn a writer/editor position.