Atlanta Hawks Draft Review

Current Roster
PG: Dennis Schroder/Malcolm Delaney
SG: Kent Bazemore/Marco Belinelli/Tyler Dorsey
SF: Taurean Prince/DeAndre Bembry/Mike Dunleavy
PF: John Collins/Ryan Kelly
C: Miles Plumlee/Alpha Kaba

2017 Free Agents
Unrestricted
G Jose Calderon
F Paul Millsap (player option)
F Kris Humphries
F Ersan Ilyasova
C Mike Muscala
G Thabo Sefolosha

Restricted
G Tim Hardaway Jr.

Who They Drafted
1-19 John Collins, PF/C Wake Forest
2-41 Tyler Dorsey, SG Oregon
2-60 Alpha Kaba, C Mega Bemax

Collins is an extremely active big man with tremendous quickness and bounce, attributes he used to his advantage when it came to rebounding the ball and scoring around the basket. Collins has shown more range to his game at times, but it would be unfair to expect much floor spacing from him starting out. For Atlanta, which bases a lot of its offense on spacing the floor, this is an interesting fit and you might seem him playing more like a center on offense, setting screen and hanging out around the dunker spot, while Mike Muscala (if he resigns) will plays as the four, spacing the floor, while guarding the other teams center. Defensively, Collins needs a lot of work but the Hawks should be encouraged by the fact that it isn't a matter of effort, Collins has always played hard, he just needs to learn how to play defense. Even with a sorter wingspan and not really knowing what they heck he was doing defensively, Collins still managed to block 2.4 shots per 40 minutes. Whether or not Collins can become more of a energy backup big (think Kenneth Faried) will depend a lot on how his defense and shooting progress. Still, getting a Kenneth Faried level of player with the 19th pick isn't too shabby.
Dorsey is similar to Hawks restricted free agent in that he loves to get up shots and can heat up quickly. The Hawks may see Dorsey as a Hardaway insurance policy, at least giving them another shooter that can fill in spot minutes and space the floor when need be. Unlike Hardaway, however, Dorsey doesn't have much in the way of size or athletic ability and isn't dynamic off the dribble, meaning he is limited likely to guarding point guards, but without the ability to play that position on offense. The Hawks make use of a lot of ball movement in their offense, but not so much that they can really play without a point guard, nor do they have non-point guard primary creator that could allow Dorsey on the floor. Again, he can really shoot it and is worth the chance the Hawks took on him (though there were players drafted after him that I think were better) but it will take improvement in other areas for that shooting to make its way onto the floor.
Kaba was a hot prospect a couple years ago, when teams were desperately searching for the "next Giannis." None of that really materialized, though Kaba is freakishly long (7-5+ wingspan) and was productive in the Adriatic league at just 20 years old, averaging 17.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. He is fairly mobile but not a vertically explosive athlete, giving him more potential as ground-bound, smooth moving defender than a dominating rim protector, despite his length. Offensively, he doesn't have a standout skill, he finds space in the pick-and-roll well but isn't a great finisher and doesn't have consistent range offensively. This is an obvious draft-and-stash situation for the Hawks and with the final pick in the draft, it is hard to ask for more than a young, long, productive big man as a potential lottery ticket.

What They Need Going Forward
If Paul Millsap moves on, as the signs seem to be pointing, the Hawks should prioritize bringing back Mike Muscala and Tim Hardaway Jr. on reasonable deals. Aside from those two, it is hard to see the case for the Hawks bringing back any of their other free agents if they are intent on rebuilding. Even if they resign Muscala, the Hawks will need big man depth. The Hawks have a lot of young wings, but could look to sign a cheap veteran as a mentor, but should avoid overspending at any position. Are they content with Malcolm Delaney? If not a veteran point guard could be brought in. The Hawks are in an interesting position, if they truly are rebuilding that it shouldn't be hard to bottom out, but are they willing to stomach that in a fickle market? Time will tell.

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