Atlanta Hawks: Three Potential Draft Picks
The Atlanta Hawks have the 21st pick in the draft this year. With Al Horford and Kent Bazemore becoming free agents, the Atlanta Hawks will be looking for impact rookies to replace those two starters.
With options to either select a player at the 21st pick or trade up using current players and picks, the Atlanta Hawks have a lot of possibilities in this draft. There are also a lot of talented prospects in the those two positions in this draft.
The Hawks will be able to bring prospects in to work out with them and pick out which one they believe can help them in the immediate future. This draft has a variety of players available to make an impact on a team. From versatile wing defenders to aggressive shooting guards, this draft has something for everyone, especially the Atlanta Hawks. Let’s take a look at who the Atlanta Hawks are looking at and who ultimately will be the pick.
DeAndre Bembry
According to Atlanta Hawks beat writer, Chris Vivlamore, the Hawks have brought in Bembry to workout for the team. Bembry is a 6’6 small forward who played for St. Joseph’s last season. He averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, and just over four assists a game. Bembry has the size and strength to play small forward in the NBA and can matchup well with the bigger small forwards in the league.
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This would be a nice pick for the Hawks if they are willing to not resign Kent Bazemore. With Bembry, they can bring him in and groom him to be a versatile wing defender and use him to score the basketball from beyond the arc. With the right coaching and the right development, Bembry can be a great player in the league and can flourish in the Hawks system.
Diamond Stone
With the lack of frontcourt depth and Al Horford becoming an unrestricted free agent, there is a need to potentially draft a starting center. Diamond Stone can become that low post presence that the Atlanta Hawks have been missing in the past. Stone is coming off a great year as a freshman at Maryland. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and has the talent to become a great player in the NBA.
At 6’11 and 255, he has the size to be a dominant rim protector and a rebounder that the Hawks desperately need. Stone can also help provide depth to a team that ranked dead last in the NBA in rebounding. At Maryland, he averaged 12 points and over five rebounds a game. If the Hawks develop and bring Stone along well, he can become the rebounder and the true big man they have been looking for.
Malachi Richardson
If the Atlanta Hawks select Richardson, they would be getting a proven scorer at the collegiate level. When the lights were on during the NCAA Tournament, Richardson carried Syracuse to the Final Four, where nobody expected them to be.
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Richardson is a 6’6 small forward, who can produce from beyond the arc and can become a shutdown defender with his seven foot wingspan.
In his lone season at Syracuse, Richardson averaged just over 13 points and four rebounds a game. If the Hawks want to improve their shooting from beyond the arc, Richardson would be a great selection.
The Pick- Diamond Stone
With Al Horford and Mike Muscala becoming free agents, the Hawks will have to address the frontcourt depth. Stone will be available when the Hawks select and he will be the type of player the Hawks can coach up and let him become a low post player that they need.
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With the right development and coaching, Stone will compare to Andre Drummond in a couple of years. Stone has the size that you can’t coach and the ability to be a difference maker for the Atlanta Hawks.