1st Pick, Atlanta Hawks | 2024 Mock Draft

1st Pick, Atlanta Hawks | 2024 Mock Draft

grind City media fans it is time for our annual mock draft the Draft is officially this month so we are counting down we’re talking to everyone around the league and of course when the Atlanta Hawks uh beat all the odds and magically came out with the number one overall pick that’s who we’re starting with today oh thank you for being here Kevin are you as I don’t know lost as everyone else or you set with your number one oh I think it’s very very close I think it’s uh I think it’s you know a three-way race and uh you know if I have to pick I think it’s going to be Alex SAR but it’s not without uh you know some Peril given given the parameters of of what the Hawks have to deal with over the next few seasons okay so your pick is gonna go with Alex SAR yep um for anyone who just like hasn’t been around he is a French Center 71 he’s a big dude like 220 pounds uh he turned pro at 14 but he’s been over in the states for a while since Olivier got um drafted now I’m saying he’s a center all that to say Obviously Atlanta has two big guys right now Clint is older like the Hawks are still like very young Clint is older he’s on an expiring contract um how do you see Alex star fitting in with the roster that Atlanta has right now I I think that’s the that’s the real question is that the Hawks aren’t really in a position to rebuild because they don’t have great control over their draft picks for the next few years so they got to kind of hit on one now and they kind of needed to be a player now because they can’t go into rebuild mode they don’t they don’t really control their their draft Destiny for the next few years and so you kind of need Alex SAR to be a player but at the same time if you look at him next to the two players that are right there with him I think he’s the one that needs the most help the the the biggest boost to figure out what is his NBA role he he reminds me a little bit of Kevin Garnett who looked like a center and was seven feet like a center but played power forward for 17 or 18 years um and so it’s a little bit tricky because like you said you know Clint capella is there and I don’t think SAR and capella is a natural mix those two together it’s not like SAR would replace him necessarily in his first year anyway because he’s not really you know physically he’s still a teenager yeah but but even going forward I think they have the kind of complimentary skill sets that you want so so I think the real question is you know can you play SAR with Jaylen Johnson and an aong I think that that’s more of a you know what are we going to need two years from now kind of point of view and and and It’s Tricky I think he has a good skill set next to Jaylen uh exactly how he would fit alongside Ana aong is kind of interesting it it is interesting and I mean there were I mean I I’m not going to remember the exact number it was like 270 possessions or something where the two big guys played together for their entirety for Atlanta uh since they’ve been on the same roster and so it’s not a big it’s not a big enough sample size to see like if you move you know one to the four and one to the five how that would work with alexar but in terms of like actually drafting people a lot of the time when it’s not like a like a wembe like last year you’re going for best talent and so many Talent evaluations I’ve seen online have just simply said that alexar is like the most naturally talented player in the draft um obviously when we talk about like the tie sort of I’m assuming that we’re talking about Zachary R risse who’s like kind of a more of a bigger Wing which may actually fit what Atlanta needs but if the upside isn’t as high as alexar this is a tricky one this is a tricky one no one’s mad at alexar number one but like pieces will have to be moved or like made chess pieces or you like I said he’s still a teenager so you you know you’re not necessarily penciling in for a huge massive role that first year but but yeah long term if you bring in SAR you’re gonna have to make some some changes going forward and like you said rear is one of those people who’s right there with him and he sort of feels like the big win that big Wing that Quinn Snyder has wanted his whole career like even in Utah Atlanta it’s like wouldn’t he love to have this big shooting 610 Wing that fits into this passing offense and he’s it feels like he’s never really had it and you know it kind of feels like wow you know if Quinn had his say like you know what what fits into what what he wants to do it feels like rear might might be sort of the plug-and-play kind of player that really fits a role if Alex SAR is chosen number one at the very least do you like him in the pick and roll with Trey I do I mean when I go back and and watch some of his games in Australia this year um you know not not to be too cruel and demeaning but like I was just watching their point guards like oh missed a lob pass missed the lob opportunity and it’s like Trey is Trey young for whatever you want to say about Trey young I think in my opinion he’s the greatest lob passer of all time like not today not you know the last decade like all 80 years of the NBA or whatever I think he’s probably the number one law passer you look at the stats what he did with John Collins what he’s done with Clint capella like he doesn’t miss lob opportunities and so I don’t think SAR is going to necessarily be a great offensive player for his first couple of years but I think Trey young can unlock something you know incredible Trey’s uh never really played with a a true seven-footer and you know a seven-footer with exceptional vertical burst and sour like that’s that seems to me like a match made in heaven so like I think there’s a whole lot of unaccounted for offense and sar’s game that just was not unlocked by his Australian point guards whoops I just got too excited and bought my get excited for the number one overall pick uh my last question for you then and you kind of alluded to it was the offensive end he needs work again a teenager defensively though I mean he’s like I said at the very beginning like he is a big dude he provides paint protection he if you watch his games it is very obvious a lot like wemy actually how it it doesn’t count on the stats that when people drive like he changes people’s decisions and that’s on a stat but he’s so big and he is a pretty good like he has switch ability he can move pretty well defensively was that an issue with Atlanta this year or is that just an added bonus to someone when you get the number one overall pick uh I I don’t think that it’s necessarily an issue um I think he’s a little bit like a kongu in that he’s a he can play if he plays center he’s going to be able to play any style of Defense whether it’s switching whether it’s uh you know being up to the level of the screen whether it’s dropping back like a kongu can fit in all those roles as a defensive Center and I think SAR will be able to do the same I think that’s going to be one of his strengths is just that he can do whatever like if he ends up out on the perimeter he’s going to be fine if he ends up inside he’s going to be fine like there’s just no spot on defense where he’s gonna have an issue and so I don’t think that’s necessarily something that they’re missing because a kongu is kind of the same way in that role and Jaylen Johnson will grow into that I think he’s really close to that so you know SAR could give them a third versatile Defender like that that can kind of play any scheme and uh yeah that’s that’s kind of a scary thought it’s the only question for them fitting together would be offensively because defensively I think you you start putting pieces of that Trio together and You’ you’ve got three protectors you’ve got three guys who can handle themselves out on the perimeter and that’s that’s quite a combination yeah that’s scary three guys three big guys who can defend multiple positions and then Trey Young on the offensive end seems like a pretty good recipe Uh Kevin thank you so much this is always so much fun I appreciate your time so much congratulations on number one overall pick I hope it’s a fun season moving forward uh and then we have a little under a month I guess to see if you’re right well thank you for the time

Kelcey Wright Johnson is joined by Kevin Chouinard for the first overall pick in the 2024 Mock Draft presented by Southland Casino.

The Atlanta Hawks are on the clock!

#nbamockdraft
—-
1-click Subscribe to GCM: http://bit.ly/subscribe2gcm

Discover the latest Memphis sports community news at: http://grindcitymedia.com/

~SOCIAL~
Instagram: http://instagram.com/grindcitymedia
Twitter: http://twitter.com/grindcitymedia
Facebook: http://facebook.com/grindcitymedia

Follow the Memphis Grizzlies on YouTube for exclusive team videos and player highlights: http://bit.ly/subscribe2memgrizz