Peachtree Hoops: Hawks select Ziaire Williams in updated ESPN mock

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ESPN released another mock for the 2021 NBA Draft Monday afternoon ahead of Thursday’s festivities. This comes on the heels of a Monday afternoon trade between the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies that, among many other things, resulted in the two clubs swapping first round picks in this week’s draft. In this installment, Jonathan Givony mocked the Atlanta Hawks to select Ziaire Williams, a wing out of Stanford:

The Hawks exceeded expectations with a playoff run that showcased the star power of Trae Young alongside several outstanding complementary pieces. Adding another shooter/scorer on the wing could make sense, especially someone like Williams who offers elite size (over 6-10 in shoes) and shot-making ability. He started the season projected much higher than this and still has plenty of upside to tap into, making him an interesting option to consider in the late teens. Williams is reportedly in play as early as No. 7, as he’s gained significant traction in recent weeks following several strong competitive individual workouts showing there’s more to his game than scouts saw in his disrupted season at Stanford.

Givony also tossed in the same note he did yesterday regarding Cam Reddish, and the potential of him or another young Hawks player being moved for an additional 2021 first-round pick. In yesterday’s mock, which came before the trade Monday between the Pelicans and Grizzlies, Givony mocked Cameron Thomas out of LSU to the Hawks. In today’s update, New Orleans, who moved down from No. 10 in the trade with Memphis, selected Thomas at the No. 17 spot.

Lots of things are obviously still in play for Atlanta and the league at large with three more days to go until the picks start coming off the board Thursday evening.

Stay tuned.

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