The NBA Lottery finished up with the Spurs being the lucky winners of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Hawks weren’t in the lottery, but the positions of the teams in front of them could make a difference. I’ll be mixing up the picks leading up to the draft, ending with some final projections. The Hawks really need some scoring and defense off the bench, something they could easily accomplish in this draft. I’ve been adamant about the Hawks getting NBA-ready defenders, which they haven’t really done so far. We’ll see if their approach changes under coach Quin Snyder. Previous editions are listed below:
Atlanta Hawks 2023 Mock Draft 1.0
Round 1, Pick 15: G Keyonte George — Baylor
I still want Kentucky’s Cason Wallace if he falls to 15, but let’s mix things up. I think Keyonte George will be what Markelle Fultz was supposed to be, but even after leaving Philly, Fultz has turned into a quality NBA combo guard. George is a quality on-ball defender who can swipe a few steals and knock down some threes. He’ll give the Hawks some scoring and defense at the guard position off of the bench, and hopefully can help anchor a second unit with some budding young players. At 19 years old, he’s only going to improve, and Atlanta has two really good guards to mentor him. If he can become a more consistent three point shooter, he’ll be an absolute steal for the Hawks and a huge part of their rotation.
Round 2, Pick 46 (From New Orleans): G/F Jordan Miller — Miami
This pick is from the De’Andre Hunter trade and just barely missed being protected at pick 45. Miller made a lot of noise during Miami’s run to the Final Four, with his best performance being a 27 point outburst in the Elite Eight against Texas. Miller went 7-7 from the floor and 13-13 from the stripe. He is an athletic, versatile defender who can match up with multiple positions. He’s more of a catch-and-shoot type guy, but he can make the right passes when he isn’t open. His three point shot improved mightily in 2022-2023. The Hawks have that exact type of need coming off the bench, and he should make for a solid secondary scorer that can play some defense on sixth men. Pairing Miller with AJ Griffin should give the Hawks two really solid young wings to build the second unit around.
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Photographer:Â Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
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