Welcome to Atlanta, Sharife Cooper

[hazer]

26 minutes ago, Hawkmoor said:

Travis is the best GM in the league.

 

24 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

 

Easily the best GM in Hawks history.  Not even close.

 

7 minutes ago, hazer said:

 

Jerry West tried to warn errrbody

https://www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/nba-legend-west-endorsed-schlenk-for-hawks/Mj7MG9rTKnHBeAkRT68K1N/

[Spud2nique]

 

@NBASupes when we got Coop.

[MarylandHawk]

My goodness. This team is on a roll!  Love this draft. 

[RandomFan]

Before the McEachern High School (Ga.) product even played in a game for Auburn, he already had an absurd following on social media. Ballislife.com anointed him the deadliest point guard in America coming out of high school. And Cooper’s high school mixtapes? They were absolutely ridiculous, with no shortage of crafty finishes, lightning-quick crossovers and flashy passes. He made the game look easy. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound guard was a must-watch talent.

Although Cooper practiced with the team throughout the summer ahead of his freshman year at Auburn, the Tigers were forced to begin the season without him. The NCAA launched an investigation into his eligibility, and he wasn’t allowed to practice or play in games for 72 days. Cooper ultimately missed the team’s first 11 games. He was cleared to play just in time for the Tigers’ home game on Jan. 9 against SEC rival Alabama. “He kept himself in shape,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “He got a phone call from me Friday night before the Alabama game saying it was possible (for him to play). And I confirmed with him Saturday for a noon tip, and I started him.”

In one of the more impressive freshman debuts in recent memory, he finished with 26 points on 8-of-19 shooting, four rebounds, nine assists and three steals in 32 minutes. He also went 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Cooper’s debut wasn’t perfect. He committed five turnovers, including two costly miscues in the final minutes. He shot just 1-of-7 from deep. Auburn lost to Alabama 94-90.

But for Cooper to take 72 days off and still dominate? It speaks to his impressive talent, work ethic and resiliency. That’s the kind of point guard the Atlanta Hawks are getting with the 48th pick in Thursday’s draft. “Other lesser character guys who miss 72 days would’ve packed their bags and left,” Pearl said. “They wouldn’t have stayed right and ready. Sharife, on his own, stayed in the gym and stayed ready for the call. He studied what we were doing on his own so he knew exactly what he was supposed to do when I put him in there.”

Cooper is a difficult prospect to evaluate, given he only played in 12 games last year with no postseason. And, of course, there’s questions about how a point guard of his height will translate to the next level. But Cooper’s skill with the ball in his hands is undeniable, despite a small sample size and being a smaller guard. He enters the league ready to contribute immediately.

Cooper averaged 20.2 points per game as a freshman at Auburn while converting on 46.5 of his 2-point attempts. He also dished out 8.1 assists per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds. For a freshman at any level to put up those numbers is pretty remarkable, especially in a high-usage role.

Cooper, who was an SEC All-Freshmen selection, was born to play point guard. He just has a natural feel for the game, and he can do things few guards in this year’s class can do. He can deliver passes with either hand on time and on target, whether stationary or off a live-dribble. Despite his smaller frame, opposing size and physicality doesn’t bother him. He has the ball on a string, which allows him to get to any spot on the court he wants. He’s proven he can finish at the rim in creative ways against SEC competition. And he’s unbelievable in pick-and-roll sets, which should translate well at the next level.

However, for a “little guy” like Cooper to maximize his potential in the NBA, it’ll come down to his long-range shooting. He shot just 22.8 percent from 3 last season on 57 attempts, and his shooting mechanics could use some refining. But the good thing is, this can be fixed with patience and proper coaching. If Cooper can develop into an efficient outside shooter at the next level … watch out. That untapped potential is what makes him such a polarizing prospect.

“He’s a guy that if you pass on, it can come back and bite you in the ass,” Pearl said. “He has a chance to be great. He’s done it at every level. And he’s done it at every level when he wasn’t supposed to. He wasn’t supposed to be the best player on the Nike circuit. He wasn’t supposed to be able to do what he did in high school and in the SEC. He did it. His teammates respect him. He’s the hardest worker on the team. He’s a gym rat. And his opponents fear him.”

[RandomFan]

 

[Threezus]

47 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

 

@NBASupes when we got Coop.

Dude i can't contain my excitement for this draft tonight we got 2 guys that are literally valued twice as high on the board than where we drafted them.   Jalen was on quite a few mocks given to the kings at 9 and we got him at 20.  Jalen without leaving Duke probably makes a case for top 5 if he plays to his potential.    Coop was expected in the 18 to 23 range on alot of mocks and we got him at 48.   What more could you ask for from the ole Colonel today.  He gets an A+ and a hell of a job imo i love it.

[Carmine]

Welcome home! 

[gurpilo]

First time in many many years we got a steal on 2nd round. I always was looking at other teams getting steals and wondering why we saw no value at 2nd round. There have been several cases on recent years that many people saw It clear and we were passing. Well finnally we were the obra getting the 2nd round steal this year.

The only issue is that Cooper is a bad fit next to Trae, we needed a Big defensive PG and Cooper is as small and a bad defender. However his potential is so Big that you cannot pass on a player like that

[NBASupes]

6 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

First time in many many years we got a steal on 2nd round. I always was looking at other teams getting steals and wondering why we saw no value at 2nd round. There have been several cases on recent years that many people saw It clear and we were passing. Well finnally we were the obra getting the 2nd round steal this year.

The only issue is that Cooper is a bad fit next to Trae, we needed a Big defensive PG and Cooper is as small and a bad defender. However his potential is so Big that you cannot pass on a player like that

It's been awhile. When the last time we hit on a 2nd rounder? The Ferry era with Mike Scott and Muscala? 

[JTB]

2 hours ago, NBASupes said:

You gotta give him the keys to the offense. No one was willing to do that. Atlanta already plays that style with Trae

Exactly. I didn’t watch as much college basketball this season but I did watch cooper a lot . I have some war eagle fans in the fam so I definitely checked the kid out a ton. 

[JTB]

41 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

The only issue is that Cooper is a bad fit next to Trae, we needed a Big defensive PG and Cooper is as small and a bad defender. However his potential is so Big that you cannot pass on a player like that

We have enough SGs and SFs for both Trae and Cooper to where they don’t need to be on the court at the same time.

I don’t believe Schlenk was ever drafting or signing a point that could play along side with Trae at the same time necessarily  (though Spencer D would have been nice ) …:.but rather a backup PG who can  come in and pickup where Trae left off with a same similar style.

[Spud2nique]

Just now, JTB said:

We have enough SGs and SFs for both Trae and Cooper to where they don’t need to be on the court at the same time.

This.

[RandomFan]

 

[Spud2nique]

Sharife’s grade courtesy of Bleacher report:

A+ 

Bleacher report handed out 3 A+’s out of 60 picks. 
 

1. Cade Cunningham A+
2. Jalen Green A+
48. Sharife Cooper A+
 

43. Portland Trail Blazers (via Pelicans): Greg Brown, PF, Texas — C-

44. Brooklyn Nets: Kessler Edwards, SF, Pepperdine — B+

45. Boston Celtics: Juhann Begarin, SG, Paris Basket — C

46. Toronto Raptors: Dalano Banton, G/F, Nebraska — C-

47. Toronto Raptors: David Johnson, PG/SG, Louisville — C

48. Atlanta Hawks: Sharife Cooper, PG, Auburn — A+

1. 
    

Cooper’s Slide Made No Sense

Cooper has lottery talent—and production. But he’s only 6’1” and 180 pounds, so he fell all the way to No. 48.

That’s nonsense. He has some shortcomings like any other prospect (beyond the lack of size, he could improve as a shooter), but his strengths are legit. He’s an offensive commander with the handles to get where he wants, the vision to find his teammates and the arm talent to make every kind of pass there is.

Teams are overthinking the problem of Cooper’s size. Atlanta’s ability to recognize that just solved its lengthy search for a shot creator behind Trae Young.

[RandomFan]

Reminder that Lou Williams wasn't drafted until the 45th pick in the 2005 draft. 

[NBASupes]

3 minutes ago, RandomFan said:

Reminder that Lou Williams wasn't drafted until the 45th pick in the 2005 draft. 

This one is more dumb than that one. Lou was raw af, fresh out of HS and Monta Ellis was also a 2nd rounder. 

[Spud2nique]

Nicknames for Sharife? 
 

Supercooper?

[Spud2nique]

How bout just Coop? Oh no, Sturt isn’t gonna like this. No Big O and no Coop. 

[Spud2nique]

 

[Final_quest]

Unbelievable.  We got the closest thing to Trae as a playmaker since Trae was drafted.  48 minutes of hell for a defense.