The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
POTENTIAL TARGETS IN 2020 DRAFT
ISAAC OKORO, WING, 6-6, 225
The Hawks certainly have their fair share of problems on offense, but
things were even more dire on the other side of the court, with the third-worst defensive rating in the NBA (114.4). Yes, they’ve taken a step to improve by adding Capela, who wasn’t able to play after the trade because of a nagging heel injury, but one player can’t be the defensive savior, as coach Lloyd Pierce has pointed out. Okoro, who has good size and was an excellent defender at Auburn (where he averaged 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals) could help the Hawks on this front, especially considering Young is a defensive negative in the backcourt. He’s also a hometown guy — Okoro is from Powder Springs and played at McEachern High School, leading his team to 32-0 record and the school’s first state title in 2018-19.
One downside is Okoro’s not a strong 3-point shooter, shooting 28.6% at Auburn.
DEVIN VASSELL, WING, 6-7, 194
Another hometown prospect, Vassell is from Suwanee and went to Peachtree Ridge. He is a great defender, and he shot 41.5% from 3-point range as a sophomore at Florida State, averaging 12.7 points
and 5.5 rebounds for the 26-5 Seminoles (he shot 49% from the field, overall). Vassell could fit in well with the Hawks as a 3-and-D guy whose game can continue to develop.
At 33.3%, the Hawks ranked last in the league in 3-point shooting last season. They made an average of 12 3’s per game, which ranked 16th, but were eighth highest in attempts, with 36.1 per game. Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith is
another solid wing option.
TYRESE HALIBURTON, GUARD, 6-5, 175
When Young goes to the bench, the offense essentially falls off a cliff (sinking by 11.8 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass).
This can’t keep happening if the Hawks want to become more competitive and in the playoff conversation.
The Hawks brought in Jeff Teague at the trade deadline to help lessen that blow, but he was just OK as a backup point guard. They also have Brandon Goodwin, who helped them to a few wins throughout the season
when Young was hurt. But, depending on what happens with Teague in free agency, the Hawks likely will be
looking for secondary playmaker who is versatile enough to play alongside Young, given Young plays more than 35 minutes per game.
Who knows if Haliburton will fit Schlenk’s “best player available” mantra when it’s time for the Hawks to pick, but Haliburton is one of the better guards in this draft. He’s a great playmaker, could run the offense in Young’s stead and could potentially help the Hawks by playing with Young. (Pierce has expressed
interest in playing Young off the ball more, and taking some pressure off his shoulders.)
As a sophomore at Iowa State, Haliburton shot 42% from 3-point range, averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds. UNC’s Cole Anthony, Killian Hayes (who played in Germany) and Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey also are good options at guard. Haliburton fractured his left wrist in February and was limited to 22 games, so his sample size of games from last season is pretty small. Many draft
analysts, including Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, have Haliburton landing with the Hawks at No. 6.
OBI TOPPIN, FORWARD, 6-9, 220
Depending on what happens with Skal Labissiere in free agency, the Hawks may need depth and a solid option at power forward behind John Collins. Toppin, a consensus AllAmerican, is an explosive forward who can get to the rim, and he dominated at Dayton this past season with 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, shooting 39% from 3-point range.
As a third-year sophomore, Toppin probably was the best player in college basketball (at the very least, he was the most exciting) and though it’s hard to predict exactly how his game
will translate to the NBA, Toppin has lots of potential to be productive at the next level. Some seem to think Toppin’s age may work against him, but that might not be a problem for an extremely young team like the Hawks (at 22, Toppin is already older than Young, Huerter and Cam Reddish, three members of the Hawks’ core five).
Deni Avdija from Macabbi Tel Aviv, is another good option as a combo forward, and USC’s Onyeka Okongwu (PF/C) could give the Hawks a boost on defense.