2018 NBA Draft Grades

[atlantabbq99]

Atlanta Hawks: +F

The plus goes to Trae, but the 'F' goes to Travis Schlenk for not having any balls and trading away Doncic and caving in to a horrible trade with a horrible PROTECTED pick!

Trae and Doncic will no be for ever linked, like Chris Paul and Marvin, or Murbury and Ray Allen. It is not going to be Trae's fault but how man All Stars and MVPs Doncic gets will always go back to Trae. What ever Doncic's successes will be will now always also be seen as Trae's failures.

Jon Koncak, Paul Gasol, Josh Childress, Marvin Williams and now Trae Young, this is just another horrible draft night for a pathetic sports organization.

[nedleeds]

You forgot Sheldon Williams.

[Jamaaliver]

It's not that bad.

Schlenk is taking some gambles. Some big ones.

But it's clear he's willing to swing for the fences in search of an offensive star.

I'm wary on the Trae selection alone.



But I do really like the pairing of Trae and Huerter together in the backcourt. Sh00ting for days.

Spellman is in that same vein.

Disappointed we only went offensive and Travis has yet to draft a single defensive player in his two drafts here.

Getting a future pick from DAL is nice as well...

My grade equals B-. (I think we reached for Omari.)

[Jamaaliver]

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The Hawks' stellar haul in the first-round was a huge winner on draft night

Winner: Hawks

We won't be able to truly declare whether the Hawks or the Mavericks won Thursday night's trade, but for now it's safe to say both come out winners. Instead of sticking with Luka Doncic at 3, the Hawks flipped him for Trae Young -- the player they had their eyes on all along. Young had a phenomenal workout with the team recently, according to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. And as a sweetener to the deal, Atlanta also picked up a 2019 first-round pick from the Mavericks that will convey to them next June as long as it falls outside the top five, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein.

[Jamaaliver]

No. 5: Trae Young to Atlanta Hawks



For all the adoration the basketball-watching world heaped upon Trae Young's shoulders when he was obliterating three-point records and skyrocketing up draft boards, it somehow managed to overlook his other elite tool.

This Oklahoma product is a transcendent passer with experience running the show in pick-and-roll sets, displaying premier vision and timing while evaluating rolling and spot-up options alike. He knows how to create space and use his body to shield off defenders, and he can deliver ambidextrous feeds that always seem to find his teammates in stride.

Once he's surrounded by more offensive talent and no longer tasked with doing so much of the Sooners' heavy lifting, he should regain the space and composure necessary to post shooting percentages commensurate with his talent as a marksman. He could become the best offensive product in this draft class, which the Atlanta Hawks surely won't mind as they try to find a replacement for disgruntled floor general Dennis Schroder.

Unfortunately, the Hawks passed on arguably the best player in the draft to move back for Young, swapping Nos. 3 and 5 to acquire a future first-round pick. And that's a major mistake.

It would be hard to fault them for this pick in a vacuum, given the need for an upside-laden floor general. Then again, they also have to be at least slightly concerned about his defensive limitations. Porosity is one thing, but Young's best-case scenario still leaves him using his 6'2" frame and 6'3" wingspan to guard only a single position. He'll always be a liability on switches, even if he starts displaying intensity that will help him mitigate some of those unsolvable physical shortcomings.

But this isn't taking place in a vacuum. Getting another selection is nice, but passing up on a future superstar for a one-way commodity makes for a shortsighted move.

Grade: C-

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

No. 19: Kevin Huerter to Atlanta Hawks



Can you sense a trend yet?

The Atlanta Hawks traded down to grab Trae Young with their first pick of the first round, and the Oklahoma Sooner was widely regarded as one of the best shooters in this particular draft class. He might even earn plaudits that extend over a much lengthier temporal period. Then they doubled down with another of the draft's premier marksmen.

When Fansided's Brandon Jefferson ranked the best pure shooters in this year's class, he slotted Maryland's Kevin Huerter at No. 3, writing: "Huerter, a 6'7" New York native, mostly spotted up around the perimeter and waited for Melo Trimble drive-and-kick passes, catch-and-shoot opportunities off offensive rebounds or kickouts from post players to get off shots."

Young was No. 1 in Jefferson's countdown, so the Hawks are clearly trying to find elite shooters to pair with Taurean Prince and John Collins. Now they have an off-the-bounce weapon and an elite spot-up sniper who connected on 41.7 percent of his triples while taking 5.5 attempts per game as a sophomore.

That Huerter can hold his own defensively might just be gravy for this team.

Grade: A-

Bleacher Report

[dms269]

It is going to be interesting to see what CLP can do to help the defense on Young and Huerta.

[Jamaaliver]

No. 30 Omari Spellman to Atlanta Hawks

We've already established that the Atlanta Hawks are prioritizing shooting above all other skills with their first-round selections of Young and Huerter. But does Omari Spellman, who they took off the board with the final pick of the Adam Silver round, fit the trend?

Of course he does.

Though surprisingly raw for a soon-to-be 21-year-old prospect and in dire need of conditioning work that will help his defense and explosiveness, the Villanova power forward is willing and able to do all the little things. Perhaps most importantly for the Hawks, that includes stepping out to the perimeter and waiting—not moving around the outskirts of the half-court set, in most cases, unless working in pick-and-pop action—for a spot-up opportunity.

As a redshirt freshman, Spellman took 3.8 triples per contest despite playing only 28.1 minutes during his average appearance. He connected on a staggering 43.3 percent of those looks, though that number may be a bit of fool's gold. Free-throw percentage is typically a strong indicator of success from beyond the three-point arc, and this power forward only hit at a 70 percent clip in limited attempts (1.8 per game).

If the shot does translate, the Hawks have themselves a steal. If it doesn't (and he improves his conditioning), he has the raw skill necessary to become a useful glue guy off the bench.

Grade: B

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

From The Ringer:

5. Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young, PG, Oklahoma (trade from Dallas Mavericks)

The Hawks clearly valued Young more than almost any other team. They picked up an extra draft pick to move down two spots and get their guy, in a deal similar to the one the Celtics made last season for Jayson Tatum. Hawks GM Travis Schlenk came to Atlanta from Golden State, and he’s clearly hoping that Young can be his version of Steph Curry. This is now Young’s team. Dennis Schröder can start packing his bags.

Grade: B

30. Atlanta Hawks: Omari Spellman, PF, Villanova

Spellman is yet another product of the player development machine that Jay Wright has built at Villanova; there were four Wildcats drafted in the first 33 picks of this year’s draft. Spellman was a highly touted high school recruit, but his pro future seemed in doubt when he showed up to campus overweight. The Villanova coaching staff reshaped his body, and helped him to polish his 3-point shot into a deadly weapon. Spellman probably doesn’t have the defensive chops to be a starter, but he should be an interesting frontcourt weapon off the bench for the shooting-heavy Hawks.

Grade: B

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

From SI.com:

5. Atlanta Hawks (via Dallas): Trae Young, Oklahoma

The Mavericks are making this pick for the Hawks after trading down from No. 3. There was a case to be made for Atlanta going with Luka Doncic going forward, but ultimately they placed greater value on adding a future asset and landing Young, a player they have come to value heavily throughout the process, as I understand it. They view Young as the player that can lead their rebuild, and now have the advantage of being able to build around him each step of the way. The next step for the Hawks will be moving Dennis Schroder, who is unsettled, but locked into a burdensome contract that has made him difficult to deal. Atlanta may come to regret not drafting Doncic or Jackson, but you have to respect the guts it takes to roll with Young, who was the most exciting player in college basketball last season.

Grade: B+

19. Atlanta Hawks (via Timberwolves): Kevin Huerter

This is about where we valued Huerter, and his shooting ability will pair with new teammate Trae Young to give the Hawks an extremely potent pair of three-point threats. My concern with this fit comes on the defensive side, as Huerter is not a terrific option at this stage, and Atlanta will need to build out the roster to compensate for Young’s shortcomings on that end of the floor. Time and how these players develop will determine how we view this pick, perhaps more than some of the others in this part of the draft.

Grade: B

30. Atlanta Hawks (via Rockets): Omari Spellman, Villanova

This is a surprise pick for the Hawks, but there was some chatter Spellman might sneak into the first round and Atlanta ultimately got their guy here. He’s a perfectly reasonable talent and smart, ball-moving rebounder who fits nicely with the Hawks’ other picks in Trae Young and Kevin Huerter. It’s an intriguing choice and may prove extremely prudent down the road given his high IQ game and versatile skill set.

Grade: B+

[Jamaaliver]

From USA Today:

Biggest winners and losers of 2018 NBA draft


Winners

Atlanta Hawks



The Hawks have long been linked to Oklahoma’s Trae Young, but it was always a question of whether they felt comfortable passing on Real Madrid’s Luka Doncic or any of the premier big men in order to take him. In trading with Dallas for No. 5 and acquiring another first-round pick, the Hawks got the best of both worlds. They landed their target – the closest thing to Steph Curry in this year’s draft – and got a future asset.

On top of Young, whose offensive potential overshadowed his defensive shortcomings, the Hawks also took Kevin Huerter out of Maryland. Huerter saw his stock rise significantly throughout the draft process, and his game – catch-and-shoot, quick-trigger 3s – should mesh perfectly with Young’s. Pick No. 30, Omari Spellman out of Villanova, is a stretch-4 that knocked down 43 percent of his 3-pointers last season. The Hawks added some valuable pieces.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Grading Every Team's 2018 NBA Draft Performance

Atlanta Hawks


Picks: Trae Young (Pick No. 5, traded from Dallas), Kevin Huerter (Pick No. 19), Omari Spellman (Pick No. 30)

Young has in-the-arena shooting range, crafty handles and the vision to find open teammates. He was basically a one-man wrecking crew at Oklahoma and led the nation in points (27.4) and assists (8.7). He'll immediately assume control of Atlanta's offense, and if he transitions quickly, he'll potentially have a Stephen Curry-type gravitational pull on opposing defenses.

There's significant risk in this selection, though. His physical gifts are nonexistent; he measured under 6'2" in shoes and had the shortest wingspan (6'3") at the combine. That presents obvious challenges at the defensive end, although the Hawks will stomach them if he gives them an offensive identity.

Plus, you can't erase the opportunity cost of letting Doncic get away.

Huerter was a star at the combine who impressed with his sophomore shooting (73 threes, 41.7 percent this past season) at Maryland. He might not play a ton of defense, but he could be a high-level catch-and-shoot sniper, and he'll chip in as a ball-mover and occasional attacker.

Atlanta general manager Travis Schlenk came from Golden State's front office. So, if you're thinking the Young-Huerter combo has a Splash Bros. Lite feel to it, there's a reason for that.

Spellman was a reach, but he'll help push this offense to the perimeter. Atlanta also added two future second-rounders by sending the 34th pick to Charlotte.

There's massive risk that Doncic becomes the one that got away. That said, the Hawks look like they're leaving this draft with a clear direction.

Grade: B-

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Were the Atlanta Hawks winners or losers in the 2018 NBA Draft? Experts weigh in.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/sports/nba/article213647644.html#storylink=cpy

[Spud2nique]

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F U Pau u gimp!

[Spud2nique]

A- for the draft. Trae and Huerter are gonna take 42 threes alone!

[reazun]

Solid A.

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