2019 NBA Mock Draft: Will the Knicks’ big gamble pay off?
8. player. 125. . F. Virginia. De'Andre Hunter
It’s unclear in just his rookie season whether Trae Young can be the best player on a championship team, but he’s a good enough lead playmaker that Atlanta can feel confident targeting role players who fit well with him in the present. With three first-round picks last season, the Hawks got to work quickly doing exactly that and have another opportunity with two firsts this year to keep adding to the cupboard.
Shooting is clearly the primary focus for all the players Atlanta takes on, which makes Hunter’s precipitous uptick as a sophomore from 38 percent 3-point shooting to 43.2 percent even more important. The Hawks’ desire to recreate the Warriors in the South is overstated but imitating the champs is something every team does to a certain extent, especially teams run by former Warriors executives. So Travis Schlenck’s passion for shooting is understandable when you figure he helped create the Splash Brothers backcourt in the Bay and one must wonder how and when he goes after more defensive-minded players to balance out his core, much as the Warriors did with Draymond Green once upon a time.
Hunter is years away from earning any comparisons to the Green who wrecked the NBA as a center but he fits the bill of a small ball big man in the modern game. He has maintained decent steal and block percentages for Virginia this year in a larger role and his advanced stats show even more defensive value than last season. Hunter has also developed as a playmaker, cutting his turnovers while increasing his assists behind a 23.9 percent usage rate.
While Young and Kevin Huerter shoot fire from the perimeter, Hunter is the type of valuable defensive glue guy that makes his superstar teammates better.