Atlanta Hawks: 5 options for pick No. 8 in 2019 NBA Draft

5. Sekou Doumbouya

If the Hawks want a big man who has pure, untapped potential, than Sekou Doumbouya from France would fit that mold perfectly. There are a lot of unknowns for the youngest projected first round prospect (he won’t be 19 until December), but if he’s made strides in-game while in France, he may already have a leg up on the competition.

Scouts are already amazed by Doumbouya’s athleticism, which should translate well to the Hawks’ transition game. With Lloyd Pierce at the helm and Trae Young running the point in 2018-19, the team’s pace went from 98.3 in 2017-18 to 103.9, so having a big to run the floor with Young, John Collins and company would be a big plus.

Doumbouya still has an offensive game to build though. He averaged just 6.9 points per game in EuroCup play last year, hitting 23 of his 42 field goal attempts. But with players like Young, Collins and others like Taurean Prince and Kent Bazemore, he may not have to be relied up on an offensive force right away.

The big draw of Doumbouya will be his size and strength to become a defensive stopper. Standing at 6’9″ and weighing 230 pounds, he will be hard to push around. NBADraft.net has a lot of positives from their scouting report:

"“Solid size and wingspan (measured at 6’11”) for his position … Really fluid athlete … Great rebounder on the offensive end…Versatile defender, who can guard from perimeter players to frontline players… Has all the necessary tools to become a beast defensively… Great lateral quickness when he has low stance on defense … Really active while guarding the ball … Excellent weakside shot blocker…”"

At his age, he still has a lot to learn. But he may have some of the best potential of many prospects outside of Williamson. Both assessments from Sporting News and SBNation agree that he’ll have a huge impact and be versatile as well. Young prospects can be risky, but this international player could be a perfect fit for the Atlanta Hawks.