Atlanta Hawks: Atl All Day Mock Draft 3.0, Best Case Scenario

player. 125. <h5>6’9 208 • Princeton HS (Ohio)</h5> <p>The Golden State Warriors were finally dethroned as the NBA Champions, falling to the Toronto Raptors in six games in this year’s NBA Finals. Travis Schlenk’s former organization lost much more than their title. Stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered serious injuries that will keep them out most of, if not all of next season. With that said they trade pick 28 to the Atlanta Hawks for picks 35 and 41, giving then a chance to add two young players without guaranteed contracts. The Atlanta Hawks having taken a wing a two big men, now add a combo forward in Darius Bazley. Bazley has a unique story in which he chose to decommit from Syracuse with an eye on honing his game in the G League before entering the NBA Draft. Instead he chose to accept a million dollar internship with New Balance while training for the draft. Some may argue that Bazley may have possibly available at number 35, but his great showing at the NBA Combine along with reports of him being impressive in workouts, likely have played him into the late first round. If you have watched Darius Bazley play he is another player whose game passes the eye test. He’s a multidimensional player who is an excellent ball handler, has a solid jump shot, and makes spectacular passes as well. He is smooth and coordinated on the court rather he is running an offense, or on the receiving end of a pass. Bazley is both a lob thrower and a lob target. He has great perimeter defensive potential as well, with his seven-foot wingspan and good lateral quickness. He also projects to be a decent weakside shot blocker. Bazley has put on some weight and muscle during his year off, but is still very slim. He must continue to work on his body to achieve his best results. Darius Bazley is a unique player in the model of a Swiss army knife, so it’s difficult to find a good NBA comparison. The best I can think of is former Atlanta Hawks draft pick Boris Diaw in his prime, but quicker with much better leaping ability. Bazley also has the potential to be a better outside shooter than Diaw. Darius Bazley will probably spend the majority of his rookie season playing in the G League, but ultimately the investment could pay off in a versatile player that can help coach Lloyd Pierce create mismatches.</p>. Small Forward. Atlanta Hawks (from GSW). Darius Bazley. 28

player. 29. <h5>6’10 237 • Maryland</h5> <h6>2018: Pts:13.6 ORB:2.9 REB:10.6 APG:2.0 STL:0.6 BLK:1.9 FG%:60.7 2P%:61.8 3P%:30.0 FT%:77.9</h6> <p>Having already addressed their need at small forward by adding Keldon Johnson, the Spurs now move to address their other obvious need, the center position. The Spurs are one of the few NBA teams remaining that prefer to play multiple traditional big man. Bruno Fernando fits that mold, as he prefers to play in the paint. He has good leaping ability and quickness, with good coordination when finishing inside. He runs the floor well and shows some passing ability, though he turns the ball over too often when double teamed. He does have the ability to make the elbow jump shot, which has always been a staple in the San Antonio offense. Fernando is a decent as a rim protector and a very good rebounder. He could stand to increase his awareness on both ends of the floor.</p>. Center. San Antonio Spurs. Bruno Fernando. 29

player. 89. <h5>6’1 200 • Purdue</h5> <h6>2018 Stats: Pts:24.3 REB:3.6 APG:2.9 STL:1.3 BLK:0.3 FG%:39.4 2P%:44 3P%:35.5 FT%:83.7</h6> <p>The Milwaukee Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finials and at one point held a 2-0 series lead, in their first season under former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. Then Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors adjusted by building a wall in the paint to thwart the drive attempts of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the entire series changed. ‘The Greek Freak’s” teammates were unable to make Toronto pay, struggling to create offense despite the defensive focus being on Giannis. That’s where Carsen Edwards from Perdue comes in. Edwards was one of the most proficient scorers in College Basketball, averaging just over 24 points per game. He shot the three ball at a 36 percent for the season, on an insane 11 attempts per game. However as a sophomore he shot nearly 41 percent, without being the focal point of opponent’s defensive game planning. Carsen isn’t much of a playmaker, so a high scoring threat off the bench will be his best spot. Think of a more athletic version of Nick Van Excel, when he played in Dallas. Edwards is almost exclusively an offensive player and doesn’t give a team much in terms of defense.</p>. Point Guard. Milwaukee Bucks. Carsen Edwards. 30