The Atlanta Hawks concluded their eighth day of pre-draft workouts Friday and welcomed six college stars to their practice facility.
Among those in attendance were Myles Powell and Terance Mann. Powell and Mann were both not invited to the NBA Combine beginning May 15 but will have a chance to earn a spot at the combine through the G League Elite Camp that will take place two days prior to the combine.
Powell is a junior guard from Seton Hall, who is an early-entry candidate in the draft process meaning he can withdraw his name before May 29 if he does not receive the feedback he would like in order to proceed to the next level. The guard from Seton Hall had quite the impressive junior season, averaging 23.1 points, 4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2 steals per game. Powell was named to the All-Big East first team and was second in the conference in scoring. He led the Pirates to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season this year, even after losing many talented teammates like Angel Delgado and Desi Rodriguez.
Powell thought his workout with the Hawks went well and that he would be a great fit in Atlanta.
“The workout was great, everyone battled and competed and we gave them everything they [the Hawks] wanted to see. I feel good about it,” said Powell.
When asked to compare his game to a current NBA player, Powell confidently said Blazers guard, CJ McCollum.
“I model my game after CJ McCollum, how he can score off the dribble, create his own shot, get his teammates involved and does not need a lot of shots to score and put up a high number,” Powell said.
Even though Powell is a bit undersized at 6’2″, he feels he can cover any position from point guard to small forward because of his strength and dedication in the weight room. As he potentially heads to the next level, Powell is looking to most improve his turnover to assist ratio. He knows that everyone at the NBA level can score at an extremely high level, so he wants to improve other areas of his game to stand out.
The highlight of the workout for Powell was meeting Hawks free agent guard and future Hall of Famer, Vince Carter. Powell grew up idolizing Carter and was ecstatic to hear the 42-year-old legend say that he loved his game and that he can score like a pro.
“Coming from an OG like that, that made my draft process. I’m going to remember that for the rest of my life,” said Powell.
Terance Mann is a senior guard from Florida State, so he does not have the option to head back to school as Powell does. He averaged 11.4 points 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game during his senior season with the Seminoles. Mann was named an All-ACC honorable mention during his junior and senior seasons and has played in the most games in Florida State basketball program history. Florida State made the NCAA tournament the last three seasons and Mann played a key role in their success, including two trips to the Sweet 16 and one to the Elite 8.
Mann thought the workout with the Hawks went well and he thinks he would be a great fit with the team. He thinks that the last four seasons at Florida State have prepared him tremendously for the NBA, and he credits coach Leonard Hamilton for that.
“He prepared us a lot, especially mentally. Half of the game is mental,” said Mann.
Mann seemed unphased about not being invited to the NBA combine and would not let it affect his pre-draft process. He is looking forward to showcasing his game at the G League Elite Camp and plans to showcase his facilitating skills and how he gets to the basket.
“It doesn’t really matter to me. At the end of the day, all the scouts are going to see me, so it really does not bother me. Obviously, it would be a dream come true if I did get invited,” Mann said.
The Hawks will continue pre-draft workouts after the NBA combine next week and should have lots of intriguing prospects at their facility as they potentially hold as many as five picks in June’s draft.