FanSided Network 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Since the Hawks will have no semblance of playoff contention during the 2018-19 season, they have the luxury of being able to select the “best player available” with no quibbling about the player’s fit on the Hawks team as a whole.

Such is the case with this selection, as GM Travis Schlenk and new coach Lloyd Pierce would be elated to select a late lottery-level talent like Kevin Knox with the No. 19 pick in the draft (much like Schlenk did in 2017 when he selected future Second Team All-Rookie member John Collins 19th overall).

Knox showcased a diverse offensive skill set in college and will only be 18 years old on draft day — meaning there is plenty of upside to this Kentucky product.

Clocking in at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, Knox has the size and touch to become an excellent post player (which is a part of his skill set that is sorely underrated), and his main source of offense during his lone college season came via spot up jump shots (33 percent of his possessions). He also shot 34.1 percent from downtown on an impressive 38.0 3-point attempt rate –- something the Hawks would gladly employ into their system.

Defensively, Knox did not put up big numbers in any major statistical indicators of defensive acumen, but his burly, solid frame and excellent length means that Knox should be able to stay on the court in high-stress, switch-everything minutes going forward in his career.

Again, many draft boards have Knox as a late lottery candidate, so if he were to slide down draft boards — like he did in ours — the Hawks would have to seriously consider taking him, even if his skill set overlaps with both Marvin Bagley’s and John Collins’s.

— Chris Guest

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