NBA Draft 2018: Hawks take Omari Spellman at No. 30
The Atlanta Hawks took Villanova forward Omari Spellman with their third and final selection in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Omari Spellman 10.9 points and 8 rebounds in his lone season at Villanova. The frontcourt freshman is undersized at 6-foot-9, but his wide frame allows him to battle down low. He’ll likely be used as a stretch four in Atlanta as he shot 43 percent from three under Jay Wright.
Despite being a freshman, he’s already 21-years-old. He’s not going to dominate in the low-post and his defense needs work, especially against bigger and quicker forwards. But shooting always has a place in the league and if he continues to show range, he’ll find a home with the Atlanta Hawks.
Atlanta had an eventful draft. They kicked things off with a bang, trading third overall pick Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks for fifth overall pick Trae Young. Along with Young, they added Kevin Huerter, a sharpshooter out of Maryland. It’s easy to see what the Hawks are going for. Their attempt to re-create the shooting of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson with Young and Huerter out in Atlanta. On the surface, it’s a smart strategy. Curry and Thompson have won three of the last four titles together and might be the best backcourt in league history. It’s unfair to put those expectations on the new Atlanta duo, but the blueprint is there.
In adding Spellman, the Hawks are positioning themselves to be bad defensively, but fun on the offense side. If you’re going to be a bad team, which the Hawks most certainly will be next season, you may as well be fun. In their quest to be entertaining, Atlanta should be commended for their work on Thursday.
With Young, Heurter, Spellman, and John Collins, the Hawks are poised to be a sneaky League Pass favorite in 2017-18.