For the second consecutive season, the Atlanta Hawks find themselves in the top five in the NBA Draft. Already armed with Trae Young and with a draft full of guards at the top, selecting a player like LaMelo Ball could be seen as creating an odd fit in the backcourt.
However, given the current state of their rebuild, an argument could also be made for simply drafting the best player available. Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk held a conference call on Tuesday and addressed his team’s gameplan heading into the 2020 NBA Draft, noting that they won’t be making draft picks solely on positional need.
Via Brad Rowland/Peachtree Hoops:
“Certainly when we’re picking in the top eight, we’re not going to draft a guy based on positional need. We’re going to try to take the guy we think is the best player for us and that is going to fit in with our team. I do think, when you get back into the second round, or late in the draft like we’ll have a pick in the 50’s, then there might be a situation where if you have two guys of similar ability, you might take the guy who fills a need then. Because now you’re thinking about roster depth and things of that nature. But, at the top of the draft, we’ll certainly focus on who we think’s got the chance to be the most impactful player.”
A Ball/Young backcourt is certainly an intriguing idea. While both would be glaring negatives defensively, they would have the potential to not only be one of the best young pairings but one of the best offensive backcourt in the whole league.
Depending on where the Hawks land in the draft lottery, Ball may make the most sense. It’s likely that Ball wouldn’t be the top prospect on their big board with someone like James Wiseman making a bit more sense even if the team isn’t drafting on positional need. But if the team lands third, one spot above the current fourth they sit in the draft lottery, and Wiseman and Anthony Edwards are off the board, passing over Ball because the team already has a point guard would likely be a regrettable move.
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