Atlanta Hawks: Don’t Expect Immediate Help From Draft
Kevin Seraphin is one of the project centers who might be available to the Hawks in the draft.
Hawks assistant GM Dave Pendergraft watched dozens of college prospects throughout the season. When it ended, he was “excited” about the possibilities for the team’s No. 24 overall draft pick, figuring the Hawks would have several good prospects to choose from during the June 24 draft.
But then Pendergraft scrutinized Synergy Sports video and data, evaluated prospects’ workouts and interviews and took note of their physical measurements.
“Now, as things start to dwindle down, I’m really not so sure about that,” Pendergraft said today.
Pendergraft was fresh back from pre-draft workouts for 42 less-heralded prospects in Minneapolis this week. Of those players, Pendergraft said “a handful” were first-round material. With the Hawks picking near the bottom of the first round, those workouts plus the 23 prospects they plan to bring in between now and the draft are more important than the Chicago camp for top prospects (which have become less useful, anyway, with most players opting not to work out).
Pendergraft ranks the top five prospects, in order, as Kentucky’s John Wall, Ohio State’s Evan Turner, Kentucky’s DeMarcus Cousins, Georgia Tech’s Derrick Favors and Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson. He said one or two of those players will face a steep learning curve but that all should be good players by the end of the season.
After those five, he said the draft becomes “very, very hard to predict” but he thinks teams can find rotation players as low as No. 20 in the order, depending on their needs. “If that player is a worker, by the All-Star break they will be giving you some minutes,” he said.
The talent drops off after those top 15 or 20. So unless the Hawks move up in the order, Pendergraft doesn’t expect this draft to be deep enough for the Hawks to find a player who’s ready to contribute now.
“I think we will get a piece,” he said. “I don’t think we will necessarily get a rotational piece. We can get a player who after some seasoning can stay in the NBA for a while, that can make a career out of it. If we can keep our roster intact I don’t see a lot of playing time. It will be a situation where we take advantage of our D-League affiliate.”
The Hawks have rarely used the D-League: Othello Hunter and Thomas Gardner played a couple games there in 2008-09 but that’s the only time in four years the Hawks sent their young players down to get burn.
Because of the low expectations for the 24th pick, Pendergraft said Joe Johnson’s future has no bearing on the Hawks’ draft preparations. They aren’t going to draft a wing player who can come in and play, anyway, so if Johnson leaves they’ll need to find a veteran to fill that role.
The Hawks were in the market for a shooter at the trade deadline and later had interest in signing free agent center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Now they’d like to find a shooter or big man in the draft.
Word out of Chicago and Minneapolis was that the center group’s measurements were disappointing as a whole. “I think that happens every year,” Pendergraft said. “They never measure as tall as you want them to measure.”
At least one mock draft predicts the Hawks will select center Kevin Seraphin, who measured 6-9 without shoes and has a 7-3 wingspan.
“Unfortunately, the big bodies that fall to us will be more in the project range,” Pendergraft said. “You have to look at NBA free agents [at center] and say they probably are a better way to go. But if we are going to pick a skill, a need, we need one more shooter.”
Is this draft deep with shooters?
“No,” Pendergraft said. “That’s the [freakin'] problem. There are bunch of guards but not a lot of shooters. There are some good players but they can’t make shots. And the better shooters can’t play a lick of defense.”
The next important evaluation period for the Hawks is another pre-draft camp in New Jersey June 9-11. The Hawks will start bringing in prospects for workouts on Jan. 13 and continue to do so up until June 22.
“Coming into this thing I thought there would be maybe six or seven guys there at [No. 24],” Pendergraft said. “Now that’s shrunk a little bit to maybe three or four. But you never know. The good thing is it’s not going to make or break us because we’ve got good players coming back.”
MC
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326 comments Add your comment
O'Brien
June 1st, 2010
10:00 am
lewis,
I would love to have Marc Gasol coming off the bench to backup Horford (and he can play with Horford when Al plays PF and Josh goes to the bench). Hard to imagine that Marc Gasol was pick #48 in the second round of the 2007 Draft.
ILL-logical,
There was a rumor online that the Hawks would sell their pick, so it makes you wonder why would the assistant GM come out and say the things he did. That being said, I don’t think the Hawks will sell the pick.
Melvin,
The assistant GM does not think there is much of a chance that pick 24 will contribute this season. So if thats the case, he might be better off picking the guy with the highest ceiling and giving him time to develop.
I know the most important thing is to make the right hire, but what’s taking so long for Rick to make his coaching hire? Will he be doing more interviews? Is he still doing more research? Is he sleeping on the decision?
Grandad
June 1st, 2010
10:08 am
Ken Strickland:
Radio interview last eve, I have no idea the origination.
(some sort of pod-cast) Mentioned that Childress *disliked
[my word - his word was stronger] woodson. That’s why he
left. Now that Woodson’s gone, the door may be open for him
to return. I always thought it was ‘Sund’, but as Paul Harvey
used to say, “now you know the rest of the story”.
doc
June 1st, 2010
11:00 am
granddad who would like a guy who didnt allow competition?
ken you know how to get to me if nothing else get info to ray and he can connect us. there are some very reasonable things to do if you are willing
Big Ump
June 1st, 2010
11:15 am
Ken S.
No doubt about it, you will kick it, because you one tough dude. You the man.
lewis
June 1st, 2010
12:56 pm
I love Pau Gasol, and believe that skilled (coordinated) big men (true 7 ft) are limited and invaluable in the NBA. When Marc came into the league, (his rights traded to Memphis in a deal for Pau) I paid attention. He’s a very coordinated big man who’s not that great on offense, but he shoots a high percentage with finesse around the rim.
We could use him as our primary backup big, giving him anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes in game, depending on the size of the opponent and the kind of foul trouble Horf/Smith find themselves in.
Zaza is serviceable – but the Hawks need someone bigger and younger who can give more minutes. Knowing that a player like Gasol can come in off the bench would allow Horford and Jo.Smith to play more aggressive on defense. He is a guy who, with a seemingly high basketball IQ, is unselfish enough to serve as a true defensive center.
I would be a lot less worried about facing teams with true centers, ala Boston and Orlando, with him on our team. Thing is, he pretty much averages Horford’s numbers in his first 2 years, so i’m not sure if he expects to get paid like a starter. During the 09-10 season, in 59 games started, he averaged 14.6 pts / 9.3 rebounds / 1.6 blks. 58% FG shooting percentage. Only thing he’s not as good as horford at is free throw shooting.
And most importantly, he’s a winner, a champion:
Spanish Championship (2004)
Spanish Supercup (2004)
Fiba Eurocup (2007)
Catalan Championship (2007)
Spanish League MVP (2008)
Marc Gasol – 25 years old – from Barcelona, Spain
7′1 (265) -
After his graduation from Lausanne, Gasol returned to his home country of Spain to play in the Liga ACB. He originally played with FC Barcelona before moving to Akasvayu Girona, where he played two seasons and was named the 2008 ACB Most Valuable Player.
Gasol broke the franchise rookie record of the highest field goal percentage at the end of the season, he finished with 53%. The previous record was held by his older brother Pau, who shot 51.8% from the field his rookie season
Ramon
June 1st, 2010
1:06 pm
I would love to see Gasol on the Hawks. The question is, how do the Hawks get him?
lewis
June 1st, 2010
1:09 pm
Start with Zaza than find something to sweeten the deal. Offer him 5.75 mil a year.
Biggest problem is Thabeet sucking. They sort of need him.
Big Ray
June 1st, 2010
1:10 pm
If Memphis has any sense, they won’t let Marc Gasol go. However, if lacking in sense, then I say take him from them in a New York second. Would I trade Al Horford to do it? No.
Side note: Marc Gasol and Al Horford finished the season with very similar numbers. 14 points, 9 rebounds, roughly.
Big Ray
June 1st, 2010
1:13 pm
Yep, that would be the problem. Thabeet coming off a major stint in the D-League….
Ramon
June 1st, 2010
1:14 pm
Big Ray, I would offer Crawford for Gasol though (if you knew JJ would re-sign).
lewis
June 1st, 2010
1:18 pm
which brings us back to the debate that forces us to choose between horford and smith
would u rather have 2 horfords
or a smith and a horford
Together they usually put up 30 pts a night
steady hands, hard working, team players – got the right attitudes – i say i’d rather have gasol and horford than smith and horford
Give horford more touches via the future 1-2 punch horford/teague pick and roll.
He scores 20 a night instead of 14, gasol puts up his usual 14-15, and we don’t have to deal with all the things we hate about josh smith. Plus, he almost signed with the grizz anyway. due to Zack Randolph being a superior PF, this cannot and will not happen.
Big Ray
June 1st, 2010
1:18 pm
Ramon
I would, too…
Big Ray
June 1st, 2010
1:25 pm
Lewis
I’m not anti-Smith, but there is something to be said for the combined work ethics and attitudes of both Gasol and Horford. The right coach would know to use them in both pick and roll situations, but to also run a high-low post game.
Actually, the Grizz would probably STILL love to have Smith, as they want/need to get more athletic down low. As for Randolph, there was one reason and one reason only, for him ending up in Memphis: scoring. He can rebound as well, but the defense is just not there. Right now, $58 million for a guy who is a superior athlete, plays better defense nearly ALL the time, and can still get you around 16 and 8 per night (along with a steal or two, a couple of blocks, and about 4 assists per game) doesn’t look too bad.
Of course, if you prefer no defense whatsoever and are happy with 20 and 10, along with two arrests per month, that’ll work too….
Big Ray
June 1st, 2010
1:28 pm
Mo Evans may not stick around, either. And since we need a backup SF who might actually have the ability to start at the position if necessary (I prefer that he be taller than 6′5″), why not take a particularly hard look at another Memphis Grizzly?
Ronnie Brewer, anyone? Shoots better than Marvin all day long, and plays some pretty decent defense. Averaged more than a steal-and-a-half per game.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 1st, 2010
1:32 pm
Now that Zach Randolph has been implicated in a drug trafficking scheme, the Grizzlies are unlikely to trade any of their remaining big men and will probably use their first round pick on the best big man available… at least, that’s my guess.
lewis
June 1st, 2010
1:33 pm
I’d like to see:
C – M. Gasol
PF – A. Horford
SF – J. Childress
SG – J. Johnson
PG – J. Teague
as opposed to
C – A. Horford
PF – J. Smith
SF – M. Williams
SG – J. Johnson
PG – J. Teague
Josh, Jeff and Joe? that’s going to get confusing…
terrell
June 1st, 2010
1:35 pm
Grandad, see my post on May 31 @ 6:52pm. There’s your source. lol!
lewis
June 1st, 2010
1:37 pm
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0904/nba.biggest.bargains/content.1.html
14 of the nba’s biggest bargains
Grandad
June 1st, 2010
2:22 pm
Lewis – I understand your hankerin’ for us to get Gasol
but one thing you mentioned about Zaza [age] is only 26.
Grandad
June 1st, 2010
2:30 pm
terrell:
Well I’ll be ‘durn’, that’s exactly where I saw it.
I’m sorry, I didn’t credit you & also thats where
I heard that pod-cast also.
Thanks, terrell – I read everything I can get my hands on
about B-ball and sometimes I forget where I saw it.
Always appreciative of great links. Thanks, again.
Ramon
June 1st, 2010
2:42 pm
Why is it the longer time goes on, the more I dislike the idea of hiring Casey? I really think the Hawks will announce their head coach before the end of this week. But I truly hope its not D. Casey. He may turn out to be a great hire, but something about him doesn’t really excite me as a fan.
lewis
June 1st, 2010
2:43 pm
Grandad,
Never really thought about that. I don’t necessarily even care about age, potential is more important.
Zaza seemed out of shape all year, more focused on living the ATL lifestyle, opening restaurants with money he didn’t play well enough to deserve. Him trying to play tough defense in the playoffs was a series of borderline fragrant fouls.
He misses a lot of layups. I just assumed he was closer to 30 because of the way he moved. I don’t think a new coach is going to change things around for Zaza. I dislike him, but we did win 53 games with him and the bench warming joe smith as our backup bigs. I don’t know, i just can’t imagine Zaza on a championship team playing the role he currently plays…
lewis
June 1st, 2010
2:45 pm
nothing eaaassyyyyyyyy
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