2018 NBA Mock Draft: If need were all that mattered

After Deandre Ayton’s draft workout Wednesday in which the former Arizona big man basically announced himself as the top pick, the discussion among those in the room turned to the rest of the top five. One question I could not answer: Why wouldn’t the Hawks just take Jackson?

It’s a good question. When looking up, down or around the Hawks’ roster, their needs are clear. The squad is thirsty for TALENT. Literally no player is firmly cemented in the team’s future, and that’s mostly because no one is talented enough to consider untouchable. That typically means that a team would operate under the tried-and-true “best player available” strategy. By that token, Atlanta’s choice is easy — most draft experts and team reports have Jackson lingering just behind Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic on big boards.

But apparently it’s not quite so easy for the Hawks themselves. They seem to be quite interested in Marvin Bagley III, the Duke superstar who looks like the second coming of Amare’ Stoudemire. That’s all well and good — Bagley could certainly be a great player — but the opportunity to draft Jackson is too great.

Bagley might be dominant, but Jackson has unicorn potential, and isn’t that what the NBA player development game is all about these days?