Atlanta Hawks: 5 options for pick No. 3 in 2018 NBA Draft
By Ty Delbridge
No. 3 Deandre Ayton
- Height: 7’0″
- Weight: 243 lbs
- Age: 19
- Position: C
After playing one season at the University of Arizona, Deandre Ayton declared for the draft and is being pegged as the No. 1 pick in a lot of recent NBA mock drafts. Ayton is a monster with great skill on both ends of the floor and has impressive physical attributes.
He can score all over the floor, is an elite rebounder, runs the floor like a gazelle and is a great rim protector. The Ringer labeled him as a “star center prospect whose body was built by the basketball gods, with a potentially elite two-way game.”
In his one season at Arizona, Ayton averaged 20.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 assists in 33.5 minutes per game while shooting 62.5 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from the 3-point line. He was the Pac-12 Player of the Year and the Karl Malone Award winner.
The Hawks drafted Collins last draft, but could pair Ayton next to him down low, and the Hawks would have their frontcourt solidified for the foreseeable future. Collins can play power forward and Ayton can slide to center, but they would be able to rotate throughout the game.
The Hawks should be selecting the best player available, and Ayton is arguably the best player in the draft. The Ringer compared Ayton to DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Ewing and Karl-Anthony Towns. That’s three elite players to be compared to, and Hawk fans should be excited if Ayton somehow fell to them at No. 4.