ATLANTA — The Atlanta Hawks wound up with the sixth pick in the NBA Draft via Thursday night's lottery, a disappointing fall in what's already considered a draft somewhat lacking in star power.
Adding to the sting a bit, the team had a better than 50-50 shot of at least staying within the top-5.
But if there's any good news, it's that Atlanta has a roster that's already somewhat filled out around a young core. Without any kind of clear fit for the likes of LaMelo Ball or James Wiseman (though Anthony Edwards would've been an incredibly intriguing fit) it would've been a strong possibility that they'd have traded the first or second pick anyway.
As it stands, there's probably a good chance they'll still make a deal involving the sixth pick, too.
But if they don't, here's who the sixth pick might make available to them:
- F Isaac Okoro, Auburn: Okoro is from Powder Springs and went to McEachern High School, so he'd at least have a built-in fan base in the area. He's a springy wing that knows how to get to the bucket and score and he's considered a great defensive prospect. But the Hawks are trying to emphasize shooting and while Okoro's has a nice look to it, he only hit on 29% of his three-pointers for the Tigers last year. (All sounds a bit like Cam Reddish, doesn't it?)
- C James Wiseman, Memphis: This draft is a bit all over the place, and Wiseman is as good an indication of that as any. He's one of the clear-cut top-3 players on most draft boards, but his college career only lasted three games and whether he can shoot or not is a big question for a center trying to find a place in the modern NBA. So a number of mock drafts already have him falling. That said, if he did reach No. 6, it seems unlikely the Hawks would bite with Clint Capela on board.
- F Deni Avdija, Israel: Again, Avdija is someone that generally slots in the top-5 in most draft mocks, but there are few guarantees with this draft. The Israeli is considered a good playmaking forward with a smooth shot, but if you're dreaming of Luka Doncic, keep in mind his Euroleague stats (4 points per game in about 14 minutes, 27.7% from 3) are a lot more reminiscent of Mario Hezonja's. It's hard to see where Avdija would crack the Hawks starting lineup.
- F Obi Toppin, Dayton: Toppin might be the most polished offensive player in the draft, a frontcourt player who's probably the most ferocious dunker in this class and who has a genuine three-point shot already (39% last year). He's also up an down draft boards, but ESPN has him at exactly No. 6 on their big board, so we'll consider him a Hawks possibility for now. His issue is defense - he both struggles to be much help inside and stepping out farther toward the perimeter against smaller players. Not a great combo, and hard to see how he'd share the floor with John Collins.
- F Devin Vassell, Florida State: Vassell for my money might be the most interesting possibility for Atlanta. The Suwanee native who went to Peachtree Ridge High is an excellent shooter (better than 41% from 3 both his seasons at FSU), has great length and leaping ability and could project as a really good defender. It doesn't seem like he'll wow you as a playmaker but the potential his there for him to be able to put the ball on the floor in the halfcourt and give Trae Young enough support to go off-ball from time to time.
- Some other names: Hard to see the Hawks going for a point guard like France's Killian Hayes or Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, though both are bigger (6-5) than Trae (6-1) and could possibly complement him... USC center/forward Onyeka Okongwu seems to be in the mix around No. 6 on most draft boards, but he seems like a pretty strictly interior-bound scorer, which doesn't seem like something the Hawks would target.. Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa might be an underrated possibility; at 6-9 with a 7-1 wingspan he can potentially guard opposing centers, runs the floor and cuts well, good in the pick-and-roll, and has at least something of a 3-point shot to speak of (32.5% last year).
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