The NBA regular season is over, and the play-in tournament is underway, with the playoffs on deck this Saturday. The next big date for the NBA Draft is going to be in May, when the official draft order will be set for the teams in the lottery. While the Atlanta Hawks are not going to be as interested in the lottery as they were last year when they landed the No. 1 pick and selected Zaccharie Risacher. But just because they are not in the lottery does not mean that they are not an intriguing team in the upcoming draft.
The Hawks were one of the younger teams in the NBA this season, with guys like Dyson Daniels, Risacher, and Jalen Johnson leading the way, but Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu are still entering their primes. Atlanta is going potentially going to have up to two draft picks in the first round of this year’s draft. They own the Los Angeles Lakers’ draft pick this year, and if the Sacramento Kings’ pick falls out of the top 12, it belongs to the Hawks. Atlanta could add two pieces to its young core this June. The biggest needs going into the draft are interior defense, forward depth, and shooting.
In the latest NBA Mock Draft from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, the Hawks take two intriguing wing players with the pair of picks they have:
Sacramento Kings Record: 40-42
Previous Mock Position: 15
Size: 6’10”, 198 lbs
Age: 18
Nationality: France
Pro Comparisons: Jabari Walker, Precious Achiuwa
“Potentially the youngest prospect in the draft, Noa Essengue averaged 14.0 points in March and enters April with seven three-point makes over Ulm’s last three games.
At 18 years old, totally raw without too much functional ball-handling for creation or reliable perimeter shotmaking, he has still found a way to contribute 10.8 points and 4.9 boards against pros.
There may be teams more interested in a prospect who brings a sure thing right away, such as playmaking, shooting or shot-blocking. But given his 6’9″ size, age, production and room to improve his 23.6 percent three-point percentage, there will also be teams that see a good high-floor, high-ceiling bet.”
Los Angeles Lakers record: 50-32
Previous Mock Position: No. 23
Size: 6’8″, 180 lbs
Age: 19
Nationality: Canada
Pro Comparison: Kyshawn George
“Scouts saw the best and worst of Will Riley in the NCAA tournament, which he opened by scoring 22 points on 12 shots against Xavier. He put on a shotmaking clinic late while also mixing in some strong drives earlier.
However, he was mostly silent in Illinois’ following loss to Kentucky, struggling to create separation inside the arc. Weak explosion and a negative wingspan are concerning from a translatability standpoint, and he doesn’t offer much versatility for games when his jump shot isn’t falling.
But over the last month, Riley has still looked more confident and decisive in terms of shooting and using his dribble to make plays for himself and teammates.
Some teams will see upside in a 6’8″ scoring wing. Others may see a lengthy NBA-ready timetable and bust potential.”
If the draft fell this way for the Hawks, they would need to be patient with both players. Essengue is one of the most intriguing prospects in the entire draft, with athleticism and length that could fit with the Hawks and how they are building their team. However, as Wasserman noted, the offensive game, particularly the three-point shooting, are going to be a work in progress. The good thing is that the Hawks G-League team, the College Park Skyhawks, has done a great job of developing players. Mouhamed Gueye, Jalen Johnson, and Vit Krejci are just some of the success stories for the Hawks in terms of development.
Riley had a solid freshman season at Illinois, averaging 12.6 PPG in 35 games played this season, while shooting 43% from the field and 33% from three. Riley would be another wing to add to the rotation, but he is another player who could spend the first part of the season in College Park developing.
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