NBA Mock Draft 3.0: The New Orleans Pelicans Land the Best Shooter
Atlanta Hawks. 7. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 125. Guard / New Zealand Breakers. R.J. Hampton
Atlanta is in an interesting position, as they have an exciting young core to which they recently added power forward Clint Capela.
The Hawks may feel they are set in the front court, as they have Capela, center Dewayne Dedmon and power forward John Collins all under contract for next year.
The Hawks will likely take a guard here, but which one depends on how they see the future for young star point guard Trae Young.
Young is currently second in the NBA in assists and has shown the ability to make his teammates better.
The Hawks could ultimately decide that Young’s future is playing more off the ball, in which case R.J. Hampton would be a good choice.
Hampton is not a great shooter yet, but he can get to the rim and finish with either hand and has flashed enough high-ceiling talent in his short career to have teams drooling.
He and Young would form a dynamic backcourt offensively, especially with the two of them flying off screens.
Hampton also projects a potentially elite defender for his position and could cover some of Young’s deficiencies in that area.
The Hawks could go in a lot of directions and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them trade this pick, especially if they think they can still get a guard later in the draft.