Surprisingly enough, the 2022 NBA Draft is this Thursday. It kind of snuck up on us with the NBA Finals just ending, but I’m curious to see what path the Hawks will take. There have been rumors that the Hawks are eyeing an extra lottery pick, and they could use John Collins to go after the 7th pick from the Portland Trail Blazers (I outlined that scenario and which players I would choose below). Personally, I’d be okay with this, but we haven’t heard much about a potential move since. We know things can move quickly on draft night, so for now, I’ll just stick with one final chalk mock draft. Other mock drafts are down below, featuring different player profiles:
Hawks 2022 Mock Draft 1.0 (Pre-Lottery)
Hawks 2022 Mock Draft 2.0 (Post-Lottery)
Hawks 2022 Mock Draft 3.0 (John Collins Trade Scenario)
Round 1, Pick 16: G/F Ochai Agbaji — Kansas
I still think Tari Eason is a picture-perfect fit for the Hawks here, but Ochai Agbaji is the last prospect I haven’t gotten to talk about. Make no mistake — Agbaji is another fantastic fit in Atlanta. The senior averaged 18.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 41% from three. He’s a guy who can give you minutes immediately, similar to DeAndre Hunter when he came out of Virginia. Agbaji profiles as a plus 3-and-D wing who can help right away — exactly what the Hawks need in this draft.
Round 2, Pick 44: G Trevor Keels — Duke
I still think Trevor Keels is a perfect fit for this Hawks bench. A bigger guard at 6’4”, Keels is a competitive perimeter defender who can guard multiple positions. His three-point shooting needs some work, but he’s only 18 and showed he has the chops to drive in the lane for the Blue Devils in 2021-2022. Either way, Atlanta should be getting a high-quality defender off the bench from day one — and that’s a win in the second round to me. Collin Gillespie out of Villanova would be an interesting choice here as well.
Photographer:Â Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.