In the deciding Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals, Hawks Guard Shelvin Mack suffered a serious shoulder injury that will keep him sidelined for the next 3-4 months. While he described it as a ‘freak accident’, like Atlanta needed to experience more hardship to its wing players in 2014-15. With Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha’s broken ankles, DeMarre Carroll’s miraculously spared knee, and now Mack’s bum shoulder, do the Hawks double dip and take two wing players in the 2015 NBA Draft?
It’s obvious that Atlanta still needs depth out on the wing as perimeter defense was this team’s Achilles’ Heel again in 2015. A solid collegiate wing of value will definitely be available at fifteen for the Hawks. Sam Dekker, Kelly Oubre, and even RJ Hunter come to mind. But until I’m proven wrong, we’re getting a power forward somewhere in the draft that we don’t need regardless of it Paul Millsap re-signs or not.
Betsided
But Danny Ferry won’t run this draft for the Hawks as he is most likely gone once the new ownership group takes over on the 24th. So it’s going to come down to what area Coach Bud and Wes Wilcox think needs the most addressing. With the team’s wings dropping like flies post-19-game winning streak, Atlanta should look to bolster its wing depth at fifteen. That is unless, National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky falls to fifteen. Though I like Mike Muscala, how can you pass up on Frank Kaminsky?
Mack plays into the Hawks’ draft plans more in the sense that Atlanta will need a wing player to come in and contribute right away on both ends of the floor. Before going down in Game Four, I really though Shelvin Mack could in some way help ease the burden felt by Korver’s absence early on in 2015-16. But now that he’s sidelined, too, there’s no way to skate around this issue of wing depth especially if DeMarre Carroll walks in free agency.
So with Korver, Mack, and Sefolosha all recovering from injury and Carroll possibly finding a new team in free agency, Coach Bud and Wilcox should act proactively and draft a 3-and-D player at fifteen. Failing to do so means that issue carries over into free agency and unless the Atlanta front office is willing to give Chicago’s Jimmy Butler a maximum contract, the Junkyard Dog is the best option available at wing for Atlanta. Bud’s a smart guy. I believe DeMarre stays in Atlanta and the Hawks still get a great wing player at fifteen in this month’s NBA Draft.