Atlanta Hawks: NBA draft open thread
Update: The Hawks selected Vanderbilt junior guard John Jenkins with the No. 23 overall pick. The Hawks had two workout sessions at Philips Arena with Jenkins, who was the top perimeter shooter in NCAA Division I last season.
Update: The Hawks selected Virginia forward Mike Scott with the No. 43 overall pick.
There has seemed to be a subtle shift in comments by Hawks folks since Danny Ferry came on board.
Before there was lots of talk about possibly selecting a player who could join the rotation right away. Now there seemed to be more of a focus on drafting the best talent, regardless of that player’s immediate readiness.
“The ‘best player’ scenario probably fits us the best right now,” Hawks assistant manager Dave Pendergraft said.
That’s not to suggest that the Hawks weren’t considering a long-term prospect before (and, really, most of the players available late in the first round fit that bill). It’s just that Ferry and co-owner Bruce Levenson both have stressed long-term player development and so it follows that’s the organization’s message.
Ferry was still getting his legs when he talked to media Monday and so didn’t have a lot to say about his draft strategy. The team’s PR staff hasn’t made him available for interviews since then. Ferry did talk to the team’s Web site today and addressed the possibility of making a trade.
“Will something happen? I’m not sure that it will, and we will probably be picking 23,” Ferry said. “There is still a long time before we have to pick so we’ll see what happens.”
Ferry said there is a lot of trade talk centered on draft picks in general but said: “We are not going to make a trade just to make a trade.”
“We’ll be a part of some of those talks,” Ferry said. “Maybe we can add a piece or do something.”
Both Pendergraft and Larry Drew said there haven’t been any issues with Ferry joining the staff so late in the process.
“He’s been following all of the draft stuff and he knows these guys really well,” Drew said. “Our format in which we do things, it’s been pretty much the same that it’s been. These guys that have been at the forefront of the draft, Rick [Sund], Dave, our scouts–it’s been, to me, a very smooth transition thus far. Everybody is giving their opinions and thoughts and everyone is trying obviously to find the best player available for us at that pick.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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1,051 comments Add your comment
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
Birdies
Ray
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
@ Najeh
I was hoping we get him Ilyasova that is he was pretty good for bucks.
Just Joe
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
Harkless. Wow.
Buddy Grizzard
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
“Henson = Bust”
Nah. He’ll put on weight and be a quality player for a long time. I can’t get over how deep this draft is. Just think, Jared Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick last year.
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
Hortford
Ra'mon
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
Dallas will pounce on Zeller.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
smh Damn
Ray
June 28th, 2012
8:58 pm
WELL NO MOE HARKLESS WOW!
Just Joe
June 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
Iggy. Thad Young. Evan Turner.
Najeh Davenpoop
June 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
Wonder if the Harkless pick means Iguodala is on his way out of Philly.
Melvin
June 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
Harkless to 76ers. Bye bye Iggy….
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
There goes moe
Rob
June 28th, 2012
8:59 pm
Iggy is out of there and packing his bags….
Najeh Davenpoop
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
I think Harkless will be really good, for what it’s worth. Maybe not immediately, but down the road I think he will.
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
6 more picks for Perry
Just Joe
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
Dalembert, Mbah a Moute, Udoh, Henson, Sanders on the front line in Milwaukee. Send those guys some cheeseburgers.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
I dont get the Harkless pick considering that him and Thad are so similar although Thad is a better shooter.
TMACfan
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
WROTEN WROTEN WROTEN
Ray
June 28th, 2012
9:00 pm
Yep already talking about trading Iggy he’s a goner him and probably Lou Williams.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
9:01 pm
Perry doesnt make it to the Hawks. Maybe Moultrie does
Luke Cage
June 28th, 2012
9:01 pm
Wouldn’t trade Iggy, very underrated player
Rob
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
who you guys think we should scoop up? I like Wroten if he falls to us
ntrigue
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
Sullinger or fab is what we need
Najeh Davenpoop
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if Harkless ends up being a top 5 player from this draft. Not that I have seen everyone ahead of him, but from everything I saw, he is too good to slip out of the lottery.
hawksfancents95
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
haha just joe
hou will get zeller here, wow zeller is going to be one of the better C’s in the nba in a couple years. if they pass zeller here they are crazy.
Melvin
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
Perry Jones may not make it pass Houston….
Najeh Davenpoop
June 28th, 2012
9:02 pm
I like Royce White if he falls to the Hawks, but everything I have heard says the Celtics will take him.
High-sider
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
@Sautee
Sautee
June 28th, 2012
6:26 pm
High-Sider,
“Read my (two) posts FTPB @10:21pm dated 6/27/2012 and @12:01am dated 6/28/2012.”
Oddly, the first post is not yours, it’s one of mine (look it up), and there is NOT a 12:01am post dated 6/28/12.
So I ask again about this quote:
“GM Ferry will move a good player with some attitude issues like Josh Smith but will look to keep an overrated, mediocre player like Kirk Hinrich.” – High-Sider
What are you basing this accusation on?
———————————————————————-
http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2012/06/27/atlanta-hawks-pau-gasol-sweepstakes-said-to-include-hawks/?cp=all#comments
Check out my comment after yours at 10:21pm dated 6/27/2012 and my comment at 12:01am dated 6/28/2012 in the blog cut and pasted above.
Ray
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Zeller not going past Rockets or Dallas, but man he fell pretty far for a lot of Mock Drafts.
Now outside the lottery.
What if Zeller falls to #23 do you make that pick???
Luke Cage
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Perry will be a Orlando Tragic sadly
Buddy Grizzard
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Daryl Morey lucky he still has a job. This may be his last draft if this doesn’t pan out.
Melvin
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Terrence Jones wouldn’t be a bad pick for the Hawks either…
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Pg3, has been the best player on the board for the past 10 picks
Ra'mon
June 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
I’d trade Horford straight up for Iggy.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
Im not a big fan of White. I dont think he is quick enough to defend sf’s or big enough to defend the pf’s.
Just Joe
June 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
I’m hoping for Moultrie at 23. Good fit as an athletic PF/C.
Ray
June 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
Royce IS GONE TO HOUSTON
I know I told Najeh not to do that but it must be said.
Ra'mon
June 28th, 2012
9:04 pm
Jones is another Al Harrington clone with a better post game, and slightly weaker spot up game. But more NBA ready than Harrington was.
tckr83
June 28th, 2012
9:05 pm
Horford for Iggy? Ummm… no.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
9:05 pm
Didnt see that one coming
Rob
June 28th, 2012
9:05 pm
I know the Celtics got one of those pics via trade, but why are they ahead of us in draft order?
Ray
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
@ tckr83
CO-SIGN
Luke Cage
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
Ray, your FIRED LOL.
Melvin
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
There goes White to Houston. Boston will take Andrew now…
bigdave
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
welp, woulda fit nicely here…
Anwar sadat
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
There is Royce, 5 more picks for Perry. You never know
Najeh Davenpoop
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
White is good at too many things not to be a good NBA player. He may have some problems on D initially but I think he can fit at PF.
The Real cp
June 28th, 2012
9:06 pm
If I was Dallas I would take Teague
hawksfancents95
June 28th, 2012
9:07 pm
wowowow, royce white at #16. idk what that says cuz they drafted maurkice morris around the same spot and he is relatively the same player and ended up in the nbdl. i hope hou only plays dal, sa, or okc.
Buddy Grizzard
June 28th, 2012
9:07 pm
Well at least the damn Celtics didn’t get Royce White.