The NBA Draft has come and gone. Prior to the draft I had high hopes that the Atlanta Hawks would do something extraordinary, like make a move for an accomplished veteran, or make a pick that inspired fans to believe that the team was taking a step in the right direction. Unfortunately for me, I left draft night under-whelmed. The Hawks stuck to the status quo, drafting their fifth forward in five years with the third pick in the draft. I was really hoping they’d go after Mike Conley Jr., the top rated point guard in the draft. I hope for my sake, the Hawks picks turn out to be solid players. If not, this will be even more evidence for why Billy Knight should be released as general manager.
With the third pick, the Hawks drafted Florida’s Al Horford, a power forward standing 6’10 and weighting 246 pounds. He’s 21 years old and many basketball insiders say he’s the most “NBA ready” of all the top picks. He runs the court well; a strong post defender; a solid shot blocker; a surprising ball handler and passer for his size. Unfortunately, he lacks consistency shooting from the mid-range and perimeter and he tends to get in foul trouble. His NBA comparison is Horace Grant and Carlos Boozer.
With the 11th pick, the Hawks drafted Texas A&M’s Acie Law, a point guard standing 6’3 and weighting 195 pounds. Law’s a big time competitor who wants the ball in crunch time. He leads by example, directing teammates during offensive sets and he’s a fundamentally should player who plays the game with patience. Unfortunately, he still needs to learn how to effectively play the point guard position, from the stand point of improving his teammates and controlling the tempo of the game. His perimeter shooting is streaky and he lacks an explosive first step to get separation from his defender. His NBA comparison is Chauncey Billups.
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