With each passing year and the Atlanta Hawks draft continues to excite us. And even more and more. The choice to “boycott” Doncic wound last year was criticized a lot – by us included – but we pointed out that the franchise had still done a very good job by recovering Bring young in addition to a future pick of the Dallas Mavericks. Travis Schlenk, the GM who landed from the Golden State Warriors two years ago, had trade down to pick up his favorite player. Young therefore. Last night he had trade up. With the same objective.
The leader absolutely wanted to get his hands on De’Andre Hunter. A player announced in the top-5. Impossible for the club which had choices number 8, 10 and 17 (in the first round). So Schlenk associated the 8 and the 17 which he sent to the New Orleans Pelicans to go up in 4. He was then able to choose Hunter. A player with perhaps more limited potential – it’s relative – than other players in the vintage. But a sure bet at his post. A good defender, a skilful shot from a distance and an efficient scorer. Perfect for the modern NBA.
The strongest thing is that the management of the Hawks also benefited from the choices of the Pelicans (Jaxson Hayes in 8) and Wizards (Rui Hachimura in 9) to pick the organization’s second favorite target: Cameron Reddish ! Unlike Hunter, it might take a little longer for him to shine in the NBA. But the room for improvement is tempting. Reddish has spent the season behind Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett to Duke. While he was considered the third best prospect of this promotion when he left high school. He hardly had the ball in his hands.
He should have a lot more opportunity in Atlanta. Maybe in a playmaker role out of the bench. A luxury for a franchise that is building a decidedly very promising workforce. Rather judge. There is now Trae Young in the lead. 20 years. 19 points and 8 assists per game for his rookie season. He demonstrated in his first year with the pros that the “hype” about him was justified, notably with a superb rise in power during the last months of the year. There are many genes of Stephen Curry and of Steve Nash with him – by genes, one should understand similarities in the game, no more. And that’s not bad already.
Kevin Huerter has him one side Klay Thompson, all the kept proportions. He also distinguished himself during his rookie season. He is only 20 years old but he showed flashes of a sniper (9.7 points, 38% behind the arc) and a solid passer. At 21, De’Andre Hunter is one of the oldest of the lot. He will undoubtedly hold position three. John Collins is the same age when he was drafted two years earlier! Last year, for its sophomore season, this Amar’e Stoudemire 3.0 was almost 20 points and 10 rebounds on average. Reddish hasn’t even turned 19 yet.
Five players under twenty-two. Five promising players. And five complementary players with each other. This is perhaps the most striking. Franchises that accumulate young prospects, there are others (hi, the Phoenix Suns). But sometimes without ever breaking through. There, everyone has a well-defined role in which they can flourish without stepping on their neighbor’s feet. With a coach, Lloyd Pierce, which seems to develop young talents well.
The Atlanta Hawks might have been able to do the same with Luka Doncic
This team can follow a trajectory close to that of the Thunder between 2008 and 2012. It is with many young players drafted that Oklahoma City has become one of the best teams in the championship. With all the same an important difference: they do not have a Kevin Durant in power. All their youngsters are good or will be good, but it doesn’t say that one of them will ever reach superstar status. History proves that it is impossible – or almost – to play the coronation without an “alpha dog”, one of the five or six best players in the league (the 2004 Pistons remaining the last counter-example).
This player could have been Luka Doncic precisely. Many imagine the Slovenian to become one of the NBA references. Now let’s sincerely ask the question, which band do you prefer:
Group A: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter, Cameron Reddish, John Collins.
Group B: Luka Doncic, Kevin Huerter, De’Andre Hunter or Darius Garland, John Collins.
There might be room to build the same with Doncic. But what is done is done. The future of the Atlanta Hawks will depend a lot on how Trae Young evolves. If he maximizes his potential and becomes an All-Star multiple, they might be in the game to lift a trophy years from now. What is certain is that this franchise will be exciting to follow.
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