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48. Atlanta Hawks (from Miami): PG Sharife Cooper, Auburn



This might be my favorite pick of the draft. Cooper was a top-25 prospect on my board, and I didn't think it was possible he'd slip to the second round, much less to No. 48. He gives Atlanta one of the best passers and playmakers in this draft to pair with (or likely back up) Trae Young -- one of the NBA's best passers and playmakers. So much fun.

Grade: A+

He ended the season as one of only two freshmen in the past 30 years to average 20 points and eight assists per game, with the other being Trae Young. His 51.5 percent assist rate would have led America if he played enough games. He would have finished second in the country in fouls draw per 40 minutes if he qualified for the leaderboard. Link

atlantabbq99 wrote:

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I don't like the Cooper pick. I would rather the Hawks draft a big in the 2nd round.

But with that said, I saw one of Cooper's high school games before the pandemic started and he was extremely impressive. The whole time I was watching him, I kept thinking "wow this guy is just so slippery".

He was so quick and great ball handling and great passing no guy could really stop him, he look like was just slipping by everybody, even when there was 2 or 3 guys infront of him.

CP War Hawks wrote:People fancy him a poorman's Trae, but it's more Kyrie for me. Not sure who the shooting coach is for Atl but this will be a full time job.

Jamaaliver wrote:

CP War Hawks wrote:People fancy him a poorman's Trae, but it's more Kyrie for me. Not sure who the shooting coach is for Atl but this will be a full time job.

If he can get that mid-range game straight (develop a consistent floater), he’ll be a beast in pick and roll and the offense won’t miss a beat when Trae leaves the game.

2-3 years from now, he should be an excellent trade piece. He is a starting caliber PG if the shooting comes around.

Travis Schlenk wrote:(Sharife) obviously showed his playmaking ability as well, with his creativity passing the basketball, which we knew coming into it. I think what he’s going to have to learn is to not hold the ball so long and to make quicker decisions. He’s used to being able to run the clock down and being able to make a play at the shot clock, but that’s going to be harder, an adjustment for him up here. I think being able to make quicker decisions, that’s going to be important for him, and obviously working on his perimeter shot. That’s a big part of, if you’re going to be a small guard in the NBA, you’ve got to be able to score.

Breakout Player Watch: Sharife Cooper Already Looks Like a Caps-Lock STEAL



Loads of people were shocked Sharife Cooper fell all the way to the Atlanta Hawks at No. 48.

Sure, he knocked down just 35.0 percent of his two-point jumpers and 22.8 percent of his threes at Auburn, per Hoop-Math. And yes, he's "only" 6'1". But transcendent orchestration out of the pick-and-roll is hard to find, and he forecasts as someone who provides it. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman had him coming off the board at No. 24 in his final mock.

Still, Cooper's draft-day fall implied more concerns about his potential effectiveness at the NBA level. Never mind that he converted 82.5 percent of his free throws. The outside shooting was, it seems, a red flag many teams weren't willing to overlook.

And it appears that's going to be great news for the Hawks.

After uncorking only one three-point attempt (and missing it) in his summer-league debut, Cooper made five of his eight deep balls against the Pacers on Tuesday, including what proved to be the game-winning bucket from the right corner.

A singular detonation in an exhibition game isn't prognostic or all-revealing. But Cooper's accuracy in college at the foul line always suggested he could reach a higher level from the perimeter. If he even sniffs league-average efficiency and volume from behind the rainbow, Atlanta will have likely bagged the biggest steal of the entire draft.

Whether Cooper gets the opportunity to overturn his outside limitations in the regular season remains to be seen. The Hawks fancy themselves fringe contenders and have Lou Williams, Delon Wright and even Bogdan Bogdanovic to pilot the second-unit offense. Twenty-year-olds also seldom factor into the rotation of should-be playoff locks. Cooper could spend a lot of his time shuttling to and from the College Park Skyhawks.

Then again, Atlanta's backup point guard carousel is hazy enough that he could get a bite at semi-regular minutes. Bogdanovic, Williams and Wright are more secondary playmakers than floor generals.

Regardless, though, "Steal of the Draft" isn't a superlative that should be awarded out of the gate. It takes years to understand how a rookie class unfolds. That Cooper has already hinted at strengthening his largest weakness is an encouraging sign both for what it could mean now and later.

HMFFL wrote:

atlantabbq99 wrote:I don't like the Cooper pick. I would rather the Hawks draft a big in the 2nd round.

As far as big men go I believe adding a cheap one in free agency is the better plan. Not drafting one that's probably not going to make a name for himself in the league and no experience doesn't seem appealing.