Billy Knight: High School player or Euro Player?

[KB21]

What will Billy Knight draft? A high school player with a lot of potential or a Euro player with a little less potential who can probably play now?

Billy Knight has a history of selecting both. In Indiana, when Billy Knight was the Director of scouting, the Pacers took Al Harrington and made the trade for Jonathan Bender. Indiana was a playoff team that could afford to wait on a high school project to develop.

In Memphis, Knight selected Pau Gasol, who was the best European in that draft. He also selected Antonis Fotsis later on in that draft. Fotsis had some playing time during his first year with Memphis, but he elected to sign a contract overseas last season.

The Hawks seem to be emphasizing improving on two main areas: Athleticism and ball handling. When that 21st pick rolls around, they could be looking at:

High School Players:

1. Travis Outlaw

2. Charlie Villanueava

3. Kendrick Perkins

European Players:

1. Boris Diaw-Riffiod

2. Zarko Cabarkapa

3. Victor Khryapa

College Players:

1. Marcus Moore

Who will Billy Knight lean towards picking?

My guess is that Atlanta will take Boris Diaw-Riffiod. He's an extremely athletic 6-8 player who plays like a point guard, according to reports. He's got a tremendous upside and is considered to be the best athlete in Europe.

[jeddelong]

Most media outlets have Boris going above us.

[Guest]

I can't understand why we'd consider choosing a guy

that can't even shoot 35% in college.The guy has to

be a bum shooting that badly.

[TJ_Swann]

Ball Handling won't be addressed with those High schoolers. After Lebron, there is no immediate impact highschooler out there. Most are athletic but underweight for their projected PF position. Villenueva is a slacker according to publications. Lang has a weight/conditioning problem (Oliver Miller, Stanley Roberts),

[HAWKSFAN]

Reece Gaines would be perfect, but it looks like he'll be gone. The closest thing to Gaines is probably Moore, but the gap is very big IMO.

[Guest]

I've completely changed my mind on going with a bigger pg type player (aka Gaines) to play in our backcourt with JT. If JT reallly wants to make it, to have a starting spot on this team, and in this league, for years to come, then he's going to have to learn to play pg. That's not to say that he doesn't need help in the backcourt in the form of a good sg with some decent handles, but going for Gaines might be the wrong move if the Hawks truly plan on retaining JT long-term. Get some athleticism and shooting depth in a true sg or swingman ~it's what the team needs anyhow, regardless of the JT situation.

[Diesel]

We've spent the last 4 yrs trying to find the right Backcourt mate to compliment JT. And in that process, we've looked pass some good players. If JT is not a PG now, and if he's not working hard at being one, we should ship him off. I don't see a need to waste more time and have nothing. The day of the tweener PG was destroyed by Jason Kidd. NO Gaurd play is most of the reason why Detroit took such a beating from NJ. I just see us as being the same way.

What is starting to be a very good idea is SNT of JT to Seattle for Barry/12th pick.

With that pick, we can sign a PG and we can save the 21st pick for a player with great athleticism like Travis Outlaw.

The dream is that Ford fell to the Knicks and we got a shot at Hinrich.

I would then sign DJ for 2 years and watch this team grow.

In 3 years, our lineup could be:

Hinrich/DJ/Outlaw/SAR/Theo.

That would be one of the more athletic teams playing.