NBA Draft: Zion Williamson still first in 2019 Redraft

With the 10th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks originally took Duke wing Cameron Reddish. He is still on the board here, and would not be a terrible choice given the positional value of wings and Reddish’s defensive upside. Even so, he has been very inconsistent and slow to develop on the offensive end, so ultimately the Hawks go in a different direction.

That direction is towards a player from a different blue blood program, Kentucky’s P.J. Washington. The former SEC Player of the Year was originally taken 12th overall by the Charlotte Hornets; he steps up two spots and heads a few hours southwest to join the Atlanta Hawks.

Washington has been a key part of the Hornets’ rotation since early in his rookie season, starting 118 of the 122 games he has appeared in over his two-year career. Only three players have logged more total minutes than Washington’s 3,713, a large enough sample size to understand how valuable Washington is as a player.

Although just 6’7″, Washington is strong with a low center of gravity, allowing him to defend centers if necessary. Charlotte has most often played him at the 4, but at times gone small and slid Washington down to the 5. He has a career 3.2 block percentage, a very solid number for a forward, and has been a positive defensive player in both seasons.

Offensively Washington has grown as a player, primarily serving as a finisher rather than a creator; 86 percent of his non-putback 2-pointers and 94.7 percent of his 3-pointers have been assisted (per PBP stats) over the course of his career. He has been reasonably efficient, improving to 38.6 percent from outside. Given his defensive ability, that number, especially at the 4 or even more so at the 5, makes him a valuable player already.

Washington lacks star upside on either end of the court; he won’t be an All-Star or an All-Defense winner, more than likely. What he does offer is positional versatility and solid two-way play. For a Hawks team that already has its star in place and is looking for good defenders who won’t kill you on offense, Washington is a no-brainer choice here at 10.