The Atlanta Hawks Should Draft DeAndre Ayton
For the first time since 2007, the Hawks are in the NBA Draft Lottery. Atlanta will find out if they land in the top three on May 15.
The Hawks finished 24-58 and last in the Eastern Conference this season. This also snapped their streak of 10 straight playoff appearances. Many expected the inevitable though as the team traded Dwight Howard and let Paul Millsap and Tim Hardaway Jr go in the offseason.
Over the last decade, the Hawks have struggled to find a big man who can dominate in the paint. Al Horford played out of position at Center and often faced mismatches from bigger and stronger defenders during his nine-year tenure with the team from 2007-2016.
Head Coach Mike Budenholzer tried to overcome this obstacle when he came to Atlanta in 2013 by instilling a motion offense often used during his days with the Spurs where the ball is spread every starter is a significant contributor. The Hawks also thought that they would fix this issue with the acquisition of Dwight Howard in free agency in the summer of 2016 but that turned out to be a failed experiment.
The Hawks will finally have the opportunity to draft that dominant force in the paint in the draft lottery. The fifth overall pick is the most likely situation for Atlanta as they have a 32.3% chance but also have a chance to win the lottery at 13.7%. While they don’t have the worst record in the NBA, the ping pong balls can still go in anyone’s favor that is drafting in the top five. Should the Hawks land the first overall pick, they must choose DeAndre Ayton, a center from Arizona.
Ayton’s all-around game reminds me so much of Hakeem Olajuwon. From the way he finishes in the paint, shot blocking, along with his ability to expand his mid-range game, the kid can do it all. Ayton also led the nation in double-doubles with 24, was sixth in defensive rebounds per game and 13th in field goal percentage.
Ayton coming to Atlanta would also bring energy back to Philips Arena after a down season. Hawks fans are usually used to home games being the highlight factory and it can very well be known for that title again with Ayton joining alongside John Collins, who is heading into his second year in the NBA with his development going as planned. Collins was known for his ferocious dunks which had fans reminiscing about the Josh Smith days in Atlanta.
Ayton in the lineup would be another addition to the Hawks executing on even more beautiful fast breaks. Ayton providing the Hawks’ need for a true center could even take Point Guard Dennis Schroder to the level that fans in Atlanta have envisioned of him since he took the reigns as the Hawks’ starting point guard when Jeff Teague was traded in the summer of 2016.
The Hawks’ record was not a reflection of their effort this season. Many games went down to the wire. They also earned solid wins over playoff teams such as the Spurs, Pelicans, Timberwolves, Pacers, Jazz, and Celtics. Due to the lack of difficulty in contending for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks could very well see the postseason again in 2018-19, especially with DeAndre Ayton in the lineup.
Even if they are not able to land the biggest prize in Ayton, the depth is so deep in the top five of the draft that the Hawks still have the potential to bring a game-changer to Atlanta. Let’s hope the ping pong balls are true to Atlanta on May 15 with Ayton becoming a lock to be in a Hawks uniform.