Atlanta Hawks: 5 options for pick No. 34 in 2018 NBA Draft

1. Anfernee Simons

High-risk, high-reward prospects are readily available throughout the second round. While there may be more established, safer players available, at that point in the draft you may as well take players with the highest ceiling. Anfernee Simons would fit that bill.

Simons, who is a top-rated player in the 2018 class, is forgoing his college eligibility and joining the 2018 NBA Draft. Simons is eligible for the draft because he technically graduated from Edgewater High School before spending a year at IMG Academy. It is actually a route that has been used recently by Thon Maker and Jonathan Isaac.

Simons does have great speed and athleticism. He is also a good scorer with a diverse offensive game, including pull-up jump shots and floaters. While he can score the ball, he does need to improve his playmaking skills if he is to remain at point guard. Simons is also said to be a good rebounder for a point guard.

The upside with Simons is immense, but he may not be able to contribute to an NBA team right away. At 6’3” he has solid size, but he needs to add strength and be provided time to develop. Atlanta could be a team to provide that time.

Next: Atlanta Hawks: 5 Options For No. 3 Pick in 2018 NBA Draft

Given the stage of their rebuild that they are in and the playing time that will be available, there aren’t many better landing spots for Simons. Atlanta will provide him a chance to develop his skills that he would not be afforded by other organizations.