Atlanta Hawks: An analysis of the 2016 NBA Draft picks
After making a big trade by moving Jeff Teague for the 12th overall pick, Thursday was a huge day for the Atlanta Hawks as they tried to maximize their picks in this years draft.
When the Atlanta Hawks decided to pull the trigger and trade Jeff Teague to the Indiana Pacers for what became the 12th overall pick in this years draft, not only did they hand over the point guard position to Dennis Schroder, but they also signaled a changing of the guard for a team that has come close but fallen just short the past two years.
With Al Horford, the closest thing Atlanta has seen to a true NBA star since Dominique Wilkins, hitting free agency this year, the front office has some challenging decisions to make. Hopefully, none of the moves that will be looked at below were made individually and are all part of a much wider strategy that should position the Hawks again in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference for several more years to come:
The Trade: Jeff Teague for the 12th overall Pick
Well, the Jeff Teague era in Atlanta is over. If his recent statements are to be believed, Teague played all of 2016 with a torn pectoral which might explain why his play never quite lived up to the previous year.
His departure leaves Dennis Schroder as the new starter and, after some encouraging displays over the past few years, now is probably the time to hand him the reigns. Cashing in on Teague for a late lottery pick seems better than watching him likely walk in a year when he gets an awful lot more expensive.
Of course, the value of this trade really depends on how Atlanta decided to use the pick, which leads us to…
Pick #12: Taurean Prince SF Baylor
Prince is a senior small forward who led Baylor in scoring last year and looks like a stereotypical ‘3 and D’ type player according to scouts. With nearly a 7ft wingspan, Prince offers impressive length alongside good hustle and a decent enough shoot to make an impact.
Unfortunately, he’s also a senior, and therefore probably lacks much more upside than he has already shown and so is most likely be nothing more than a contributing player rather than a star.
Most rankings had Prince as a top 30 player who was expected to go at the bottom of the 1st round or top of the 2nd so to take him at 12 does seem like a bit of a reach. That being said, the hawks will be hoping that because he has improved his play every year at college, he will continue to do that in the pros. A lot of commentators seem to suggest that this is a ‘safe’ pick, taking someone with a known floor and a low ceiling who the Atlanta Hawks will hope can contribute immediately.
Interestingly, his comparison on the NBA webpage is DeMarre Carroll, and we all know how much the Hawks miss him. Despite this, it does seem like a rather underwhelming pick. Jeff Teague was an All Star in 2015, and to trade him away for a player who has such a low ceiling doesn’t make much sense.
Many of the higher ranked prospects that were available were raw and had more risk, but this was a chance to take a swing and try to hit a home run. They had another pick at 21, so nobody would care if they struck out. Bunting for a single at this point in the game seems like a mistake.
Pick #21: DeAndre Bembry SG St. Joseph’s
A soon to be 22-year-old
seems to offer several of the same characteristics that
does but is much more athletic and will more than likely bounce between the SF and SG position in the pros depending the lineup. After spending 3 years at college developing his game, he again seems to be another ‘safe’ pick with limited upside who most coaches seems to believe already is what he is and is unlikely to improve his one major weakness, outside shooting.
He is a high energy guy who gets good marks for leadership as well as his basketball intelligence and rebounding.
There is a lot to like about him, but he was another player rated as a late 1st/ early 2nd round player so it seems like the hawks again brought someone in that they thought more of than the rest of the league did.
NBA.com compares him with Draymond Green, but considering Green might just be one of the top 5 players on the planet probably shows that these comparisons should always be taken with a HUGE pinch of salt.
Pick #44: Isaia Cordinier SG France
Cordinier is an exciting draft and stash 19-year-old from France. He drew rave reviews for his athleticism and explosive skill set at this year’s Nike Hoops summit and could really excite fans in the future if he’s ever able to pull it all together. That being said, he is a very long way away and even in a ‘best case scenario’ won’t be in Atlanta until 2019.
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The Hawks sold their 2nd round pick to the Cavs for $2.4 million, who used it to select Kay Felder, a small but very effective point guard from Oakland.
What all of this means:
All of these moves leave the Hawks looking at what could be a rather different team going into the new year. The driving factor in all of this has to be their desire to convince Horford to come back and finish his career in Atlanta. If they can do that and the other two moves work out, they will again be one of the deepest teams in the East.
Bringing in two 22-year-olds with lots of college experience should hopefully be a good thing for the Atlanta Hawks in 2017. Although pro ball is certainly a big step up, both of them have been battle tested in big moments and have helped their teams grind out wins, a characteristic that is certainly important to Mike Budenholzer and this Atlanta Hawks front office.
That being said, even if Horford does sign, it’s still kind of a struggle to see how these moves take Atlanta closer to a championship. Unless Lebron and Kyrie both break a leg, even the biggest Hawks fan would struggle to see how this team beats the Cavs in 7 and even if they did, do they really stand a chance against any of the 3 Western Juggernaut?
Yes, Kevin Durant could leave OKC and that throws a real spanner in the works, but the West is loaded and its hard see how these moves help Atlanta compete in the biggest games. Neither of the players that they will be bringing to Atlanta are expected to be much more than solid rotation pieces and they are joining a roster already loaded with those types of players.
Next: Atlanta Hawks: 2016 NBA Draft selections
Of course, all of these moves again center around them keeping their most important player and we still have no idea if that will or will not happen.
That being said, after seeing the disaster that was the 76ers the past few years, Atlanta Hawks fans can certainly be happy that despite approaching a clear crossroads, their front office has refused to throw in the towel and will remain focused on winning games in 2017. It’s just unlikely all of these moves have helped take them any closer to a championship the city of Atlanta is so desperate for.