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Who Should The Atlanta Hawks Target With Their Picks?

By Andrew Parrish

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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In a surprising development Tuesday night, the Atlanta Hawks were able to move up from their projected 4thpick into the 3rdpick via the NBA Draft Lottery. Hawks partial owner Jami Gertz represented the team in Chicago, as they were able to jump both Dallas and Memphis in the order to set themselves up very nicely heading into the draft on June 21st.

Let’s take a look at some prospects that the Hawks should target heading into next month’s draft, now that the order is set.

3rdPick

DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Jaren Jackson Jr. #2 of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Jaren Jackson Jr.

A versatile big man that can play at a high level on both ends of the floor, Jackson Jr. would make logical sense in Atlanta. The Hawks are building around John Collins in the frontcourt and putting a center next to Collins that also has positional versatility would be a very savvy move by Travis Schlenk and the front office. Having Jackson and Collins for the foreseeable future as the frontcourt duo would be very formidable for the Hawks’ rebuilding efforts moving forward.

OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils talks to the media during a press conference after being defeated by the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Justin Heiman/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils talks to the media during a press conference after being defeated by the Kansas Jayhawks in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Justin Heiman/Getty Images) /

Marvin Bagley III

The other potential option at 3 for Atlanta is Bagley III, who is more of an offensive big man from Duke. He doesn’t fit perfectly in the Hawks’ system defensively, which seems to be a point of emphasis for new head coach Lloyd Pierce, who mentioned specifically a defensive focus heading into next season. If Bagley were selected at #3, his defensive skills will need to be improved by the coaching staff, but the offensive skills are definitely there to make Bagley a highly intriguing prospect at #3.

19thPick

BOSTON, MA – MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts late in the game in his teams 71-59 loss to the Villanova Wildcats in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts late in the game in his teams 71-59 loss to the Villanova Wildcats in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Zhaire Smith

If the Hawks go with a big man with the 3rdpick, they should target a wing or a guard with high upside, and Zhaire Smith is that exactly. Smith boasts one of the most impressive plays from this past year’s NCAA tournament, as well as having a great frame for a combo SG/SF. Smith is very raw for a prospect in this class, but the upside of having a physical freak like him on the roster is well worth it for a Hawks team that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon as far as contending is concerned. Drafting Smith would be very smart to eventually set up for Kent Bazemore’s eventual free-agency in 2020, providing the Hawks another wing option to develop.

Anfernee Simons

Another interesting selection that the Hawks could make at #19 is Anfernee Simons, a 19-year-old point guard that skipped out on college, instead of playing another year in high school at IMG Academy. Simons is a taller point guard at 6’4”, and projects to be a backup point guard that can score the basketball at a high rate. With the uncertain status of Dennis Schröder in Atlanta and Malcolm Delaney hitting free agency this summer, drafting a point guard should be one of the top priorities in the draft for the Hawks, and Simons would be a viable option to fulfill that need.

30thPick

COLUMBUS, OH – FEBRUARY 10: Keita Bates-Diop #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes walks on to the court for the start of the second half during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Value City Arena on February 10, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Iowa 82-64. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH – FEBRUARY 10: Keita Bates-Diop #33 of the Ohio State Buckeyes walks on to the court for the start of the second half during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Value City Arena on February 10, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Iowa 82-64. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

Keita Bates-Diop

Bates-Diop is another forward option if the Hawks opt for a big and a guard in their first two picks. At 6’7” and 240 lbs., Bates-Diop is a combo SF/PF that can stretch out to around 18-20 feet on offense, as well as be a capable switch defender. Bates-Diop isn’t nearly as young and raw as Smith is, which lowers his ceiling, but he can certainly plug right into a system and contribute immediately for the Hawks.

SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Jalen Brunson #1 of the Villanova Wildcats is defended by Zavier Simpson #3 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: Jalen Brunson #1 of the Villanova Wildcats is defended by Zavier Simpson #3 of the Michigan Wolverines in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Jalen Brunson

The national player of the year in college basketball has a lot of utility for the Hawks, being able to run the backup point guard role while also playing off-ball at the shooting guard position. Brunson loves to post up smaller defenders, which won’t be so easy at the NBA level, but he has plenty of other weapons to utilize on that end of the floor. He’ll need to improve his body when he gets into an NBA facility, but the ability to play competently in an NBA setting is there for Brunson.

34thPick

OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives to the basket against Malik Newman #14 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils drives to the basket against Malik Newman #14 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018, in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

Grayson Allen

The Hawks could use some shooting from the wings, and Grayson Allen would be a great fit into that type of role. The often-maligned guard from Duke has been known by most to be an agitator to opponents, which might not bode well for him in the NBA scene, but the shooting ability (37% from 3 in his senior season) should be convincing to the front office of the Hawks that he’s worth taking a chance on in the second round, simply based on the shooting alone.

LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 10: Chimezie Metu #4 of the USC Trojans drives to the basket against Emmanuel Akot #24 of the Arizona Wildcats during the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 75-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 10: Chimezie Metu #4 of the USC Trojans drives to the basket against Emmanuel Akot #24 of the Arizona Wildcats during the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 75-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Chimezie Metu

Metu is a hyper-athletic big man that doesn’t have any other skills that really stand out, which would be an interesting fit for this young Hawks team. Getting Metu to a coach like Lloyd Pierce, who is known partially for his player development, would be extremely beneficial to his development long-term into more of a well-rounded player.

Next: Braves News

Metu’s athleticism is not to be doubted, but he’s got a long way to go to get to a place where he can contribute full-time in the NBA.

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