Atlanta Hawks: 5 reasons Trae Young was a bad pick
1. The Atlanta Hawks needed an athletic big man
One of the deepest positions in the 2018 NBA Draft was the “athletic big man” position. Gone are the centers of old, even if a few are still trying to succeed in the NBA.
Although the Hawks have Dewayne Dedmon, who opted into a nice contract, and John Collins, the 19th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Dedmon is a journeyman center and Collins is still finding his place on the team as a power forward.
Dedmon led the team with a 107 Defensive Rating and posted 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Collins played in 74 games as a rookie, starting the last 24 games that he played in. He led the team with 80 blocks and averaged 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
While there could be some un-tapped talent already in Atlanta, they missed out on some potentially game-changing big men in this year’s NBA Draft to continue to bolster their frontcourt, including Jaren Jackson Jr., Mohamed Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr.
Jackson was considered by some as the top defensive prospect of the draft. Chris Stone of Sporting News also added:
"“[Jackson’s] offensive game already includes a 3-point shot that’s functional out of pick-and-pops, and he has flashed impressive potential off the bounce attacking closeouts.”"
Mo Bamba also came highly regarded on the defensive side, thanks to a 7’10” wingspan at 7’1″. The Ringer had some lofty comparisons of him, not just with Jermaine O’Neal and Tyson Chandler, but Rudy Gobert as well.
"“[Mohamed Bamba’s] potential as a perimeter threat could make him a 3-point-shooting Rudy Gobert.”"
Wendall Carter Jr. has had his ceiling compared to the likes of former Hawks player Al Horford:
"“Has the soft hands to catch tough passes and the court awareness to quickly finish on dump-offs or in the pick-and-roll … Versatile interior player who can post or face up from either block. Can finish with either hand, and has a plethora of moves … Knows exactly how to position himself on the court on cuts, screens, and rim runs … Excellent rebounder who boxes out and tracks balls out of his area.”"
Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams
The Hawks may have an exciting point guard to build around, but with a few top athletic bigs still available at the No. 3 (or even No. 5 if they had still traded back), the Hawks may regret passing on one of them.