I've been watching the 2024 NBA Draft class and it's been... weaker than usual

[KB21]

Stephon Castle is the connectivity player the Hawks thought they were getting with Dejounte Murray.  Castle is a legit big guard who can handle the ball, apply rim pressure and distribute the ball.  He doesn’t have to have the ball to be successful though.  Defensively, he’s a switchable defender, event creator, and can offer some guard rim protection.  We don’t have this type currently on the roster.  Kobe Bufkin is more of a combo guard.  AJ Griffin, in theory, is more of a scoring guard type.  

[NBASupes]

 

 

[KB21]

I'm beginning to think that the Hawks first pick is far more likely to be 15th or 16th than 10th or 11th now.  That will change things on my board.  You might get Cody Williams or Ron Holland to drop to 10 or 11, but neither will fall to 15 or 16.  

[Spud2nique]

Matas Buzelis is the front runner for being “my guy” in this draft. Trouble is seems like he’s going top 10, maybe he drops but that dude plays like Deni Avdija but a perfect version of him. Much faster. I like this dude a lot.

[Spud2nique]

14 hours ago, NBASupes said:

 

 

That’s bada$$! Anything with Nique and his fam immediate . Hope he becomes a Hawk somehow! #keepitindafam

[KB21]

Really wondering what Hawks University would do for Ryan Dunn.  That guy has the singular most elite trait in this draft - his defense.  He's by far the best defensive player in this draft.  If Hawks University can turn Vit Krejci into not only a point of attack defender but also develop his floor spacing ability as a shooter, I think they could potentially do the same for Ryan Dunn.  

[KB21]

Per Synergy, Ryan Dunn allows his opponent 4.2 PPG on 28% shooting on the year.  That's unbelievable.  His 2.4 blocks per game lead the ACC.  This is a 6'8" wing player leading the conference in blocked shots.  

The bad?  Ryan Dunn hit 11 jump shots in 30 games.  That's 11 jump shots total.  He shot 26.8% on jumpers for the year, and he was only 22% on unguarded jumpers.  

The defense is elite.  The offense is undraftable.  Where he lands on your board will depend upon whether you think you can fix his shot.  

Edited April 2 by KB21

[JayBirdHawk]

Latest:

10. Atlanta Hawks: Dalton Knecht

Nicholas Muller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Previous Mock Draft Spot: No. 15

Team: Tennessee

Position: SG/SF

Size: 6'6", 204 lbs

Age/Year: 22, Senior

Nationality: American

Pro Comparison: Wally Szczerbiak

Despite the loss to Purdue, Dalton Knecht added another special scoring performance to a resume that already shows 30-40-point games against Kentucky, Auburn, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

He put up 37 points in the Elite Eight off mostly signature shotmaking that scouts deem translatable, given his size, stroke and general shooting versatility. He seemingly has an ideal skill set for a complementary role at the next level, where he can space the floor, curl off screens and take dribble handoffs into pull-ups or drives.

Turning 23 years old this month, Knecht will have some skeptics who worry about age for a lottery pick. But most teams won't be overly picky in 2024. The idea of adding a plug-and-play scorer with a valued core skill and professional approach will look appealing outside the top five.

 

18. Atlanta Hawks (via Kings): Kel'el Ware

David Berding/Getty Images

Previous Mock Draft Spot: No. 17

Team: Indiana

Position: C

Size: 7'0", 242 lbs

Age/Year: 19, Sophomore

Nationality: American

Pro Comparison: Brook Lopez

Though Kel'el Ware struggled during Indiana's finale and loss to Nebraska, he mostly had a strong last two months in terms of scoring and impact.

Narratives that point out empty stats or low-impact production have lost steam. He delivered more consistently in one-on-one situations around the basket while also flashing bonus shotmaking touch and range that create more offensive upside.

Ware is only going to look more enticing during workouts, where his physical tools, athleticism and shooting could push teams to ignore previous questions about inconsistency or motor.

 

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10115151-2024-nba-mock-draft-2-round-predictions-pro-comps-before-ncaa-tournament-final-four

[JayBirdHawk]

 

10. Atlanta Hawks: Cody Williams (Colorado)

18. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC): Zach Edey (Purdue)

 

https://www.si.com/nba/draft/2024-nba-mock-draft-big-board-final-four

[AHF]

Both of those combos would be very interesting.

[KB21]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Dragitoff]

On 4/2/2024 at 12:50 PM, KB21 said:

Per Synergy, Ryan Dunn allows his opponent 4.2 PPG on 28% shooting on the year.  That's unbelievable.  His 2.4 blocks per game lead the ACC.  This is a 6'8" wing player leading the conference in blocked shots.  

The bad?  Ryan Dunn hit 11 jump shots in 30 games.  That's 11 jump shots total.  He shot 26.8% on jumpers for the year, and he was only 22% on unguarded jumpers.  

The defense is elite.  The offense is undraftable.  Where he lands on your board will depend upon whether you think you can fix his shot.  

He reminds me of a big Andre Roberson.  That dude was a defensive savant but terrible shooter.  This is worse than even he was.  He worked because those Thunder teams he started for had some pretty elite offensive talent around him

[KB21]

This is a great thread!  I put it here, because getting a Herb Jones type of perimeter defender is this team's biggest need.  

[JayBirdHawk]

10. Atlanta Hawks: F Cody Williams

Ht./Wt.: 6-8, 185 pounds | Class: Freshman | Colorado

Williams started to play much better during the postseason after fully recovering from a facial fracture. In his final game against Marquette, he really showcased his defensive versatility in how he can guard multiple positions on the court, recover on the switch and chase down blocks.

 

14. Sacramento Kings: C Kyle Filipowski

Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 220 pounds | Class: Sophomore | Duke

Duke ran a lot of offense through Filipowski this season and he played well through double teams and different looks opposing teams would throw at him. His 3-point shot still needs some work, but there's no hesitation in letting it fly. He could be inserted as a pick-and-pop big and see early minutes next season.

https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-mock-draft-60-projections-for-every-pick-following-march-madness-171054718.html

[JayBirdHawk]

Two guards????

10. Atlanta Hawks: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

Guard, 6-6, 213, 22

2023-24 stats: 21.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 47.4% FG, 40.5% 3PT, 75.8% FT

Strong on catch-and-shoot 3s, can drive to the basket with power and finesse and is athletic. Will need work defensively, and yes, he’ll be 23 years old by the draft, but that shouldn’t be a detractor. He delivered great offensive performances late in the season, scoring 40 against Kentucky and 37 against Purdue in the Elite Eight.

18. Atlanta Hawks: Devin Carter, Providence

Guard, 6-3, 195, 22

2023-24 stats: 19.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 spg, 47.3% FG, 37.7% 3PT, 74.9% FT

Strong, physical guard who can score from multiple spots on the court and will post-up smaller guards. Provides outstanding rebounding and shot-blocking from his position. Son of former NBA guard Anthony Carter.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2024/04/10/2024-nba-mock-draft-post-march-madness/73264890007/

[JayBirdHawk]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2024-nba-mock-draft-ncaa-champion-uconn-puts-three-into-first-round-joined-by-zach-edey/amp/

[AHF]

Obviously the USA mock is garbage.  The others are at least interesting.

[KB21]

(3) Dalton Knecht Scouting Report - MavsDraft’s Substack

Great scouting report on Dalton Knecht.  This is where I'm at on him.  He has clear value as a shooter and potential shot creator, but there is clear downside with his on-ball defense.  Nights where he's not shooting well, he may be unplayable due to his defense.  I like him as a player, but this Hawks team needs wing defenders more than anything else right now.

[terrell]

On 4/4/2024 at 9:37 AM, JayBirdHawk said:

 

10. Atlanta Hawks: Cody Williams (Colorado)

18. Atlanta Hawks (via SAC): Zach Edey (Purdue)

 

https://www.si.com/nba/draft/2024-nba-mock-draft-big-board-final-four

@NBASupes if this happens