2018 NBA Mock Draft: Knicks go big with Mo Bamba

Even during Atlanta’s peak in 2014-15, a season in which they won 60 games and soared to the top of the league, their best lineups benefitted from the unpredictably a player like Bates-Diop offers.

While the Hawks’ starters played massive minutes together, their most effective lineups featured one of Mike Scott or Pero Antic in the frontcourt, often with Dennis Schroder in at point guard. Personally, I liked the next couple years even more, when the Hawks featured Paul Millsap more heavily as an offensive creator. This same phenomenon could be observed during Kent Bazmore’s rise from bench holder-on to millionaire, as Bazemore’s creativity with the ball in his hands often allowed the Hawks’ offense to flourish.

There will be a new system and much different talent than those playoff teams with coach Mike Budenholzer gone, but the truth remains that Atlanta needs some play-making juice. When there is a system in place, we’ve seen how scoring forwards like Jayson Tatum and Julius Randle can take a step forward. Bates-Diop has that potential.

He doesn’t yet create much for others, but Bates-Diop was an awesome shooter last season and can get a bucket in isolation at any point. Atlanta has no one like him.