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Atlanta Hawks: Who Should They Target In The First Round?

By Nathan Grubel

May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) shoots the ball against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
May 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) shoots the ball against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter in game one of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 22, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Wichita State Shockers guard Tekele Cotton (32) drives around Kansas Jayhawks guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Wichita State Shockers guard Tekele Cotton (32) drives around Kansas Jayhawks guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) during the second half in the third round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Kelly Oubre

Oubre has been projected by a lot of outlets to be a potential lottery selection as one of the three or four best wing players in the draft, but should he take a little bit of a slide because teams don’t feel he was assertive enough at Kansas and don’t see the motor or passion in his game, then he should be the first player on the Hawks’ radar.

Oubre may not have scored over 20 points per game every night for the Jayhawks, but he sure has a lot of potential on both ends of the floor thanks to his decent size for his position and explosive athleticism.

A 9.3 points per game average in college will never scream star potential by itself, but that was also in only 21 minutes per game, as Oubre didn’t really start getting consistent playing time until the second half of the season. When he was on the floor for extended stretches, however, his upside shined significantly.

G MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS
36 756 5.8 13.1 .444 1.8 5.0 .358 4.2 5.8 .718 9.5 1.5 2.2 0.7 2.3 3.8 17.6
36 756 5.8 13.1 .444 1.8 5.0 .358 4.2 5.8 .718 9.5 1.5 2.2 0.7 2.3 3.8 17.6

Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table

Generated 5/8/2015.

Oubre’s averages per 40 minutes give a better sense of the kind of player he could become down the road. A smooth scorer capable of finishing inside while possessing the kind of long-range shot that the Hawks covet should be enough to entice them into taking a chance on him with their pick.

Consistency from deep will be something that Oubre can keep improving upon along with playing better one-on-one defense, but his shot isn’t broken and his length suggests that he could become a plus defender down the road.

He may not be the surest thing to come in and play next season, but his impact down the road could be too tantalizing for the Hawks to pass up. He could easily be a good fifth banana in their current starting lineup, and he could earn big minutes off the bench right away next year.

Next: Sam Dekker

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