2025 NBA Draft Profile- How Would St. Joseph Forward Rasheer Fleming Fit With The Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks have many options in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.

Nov 20, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Saint Joseph's Hawks forward Rasheer Fleming (13) shoots the ball during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Coming into the 2025 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks have a good amount of talent to choose from and some big decisions to make in terms of the front office and star player Trae Young. In the upcoming draft, the Hawks have the 13th overall pick (via the Sacramento Kings) and the 22nd overall pick (via the Los Angeles Lakers). The Hawks also have a lot of young talent to complement these draft picks on the team, with a promising young core that showed glimpses of potential success this season.

As of now, though, the Hawks remain optimistic about the future and have the NBA Draft to look forward to before free agency. There's a chance that the Hawks might look to draft St Joseph's forward Rasheer Fleming as they are a bit thin at the forward spot.

Let's take a look at Fleming's strengths and weaknesses:

Rasheer Fleming easily is one of my favorite impact bets at the NBA level.

6’9, 7’5 wingspan. Highly versatile 3&D forward that brings defensive instinct, length, rebounding skill & a rapidly evolving offensive arsenal — shot 39% from 3P + 69% at the rim. An all-around skillset. https://t.co/R7afZ3t8pQ pic.twitter.com/sIKrZor7KN

— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) May 7, 2025

Strengths:

Rasheer Fleming possesses the tools necessary for success at the NBA level, as he can space the floor, defend at a high level, and is a threat in transition. Fleming has demonstrated the ability to be a solid defender, and compared to other players in the NBA, he can establish himself effectively in smaller lineups, averaging 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game this year. One of the things that stands out about his game is his ability to defend without fouling, as many players today struggle with foul trouble. He can also switch well on defense, utilizing his length effectively. Offensively, Fleming's efficiency increased, based on his ability to improve from 32% and 29% in his first two college seasons to 39% shooting from three-point range. He has also shown the ability to be comfortable playing in the pick-and-roll. Another aspect of his offensive game that makes him a good draft pick is his ability to crash the offensive glass, as he averaged 8.5 rebounds per game this season. He is also a very underrated playmaker, demonstrating the potential to be a solid all-around player with his 7'5 wingspan.

Weaknesses:

Fleming has shown some weaknesses in his game, specifically his shot-creating abilities is low as he relies on other players around him to set up for him to score. Another issue with Fleming's game is that even though he has a good wingspan, he lacks good ball handling as well as a lack of post moves that leads to him making bad decisions with the pressure involved. His lack of quickness on the perimeter can make it challenging for him to guard shifty players and try to defend pick-and-rolls or pick-and-pops. The other downside of Fleming's game is that while he has shown flashes of potential, it is important to note that he is 21 years old and is older than most of his peers in the NBA Draft and is playing in a smaller conference where the competition level is lower compared to some of his peers as well which leaves room for concern.

Overall:

The Hawks' potential addition of Fleming could be beneficial in certain areas, specifically in terms of size, pick-and-roll, and three-point shooting. The Hawks need more shooting and more length around Trae Young. Adding Fleming, who stands at 6-foot-9 and boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan, to play both forward and center positions makes the pick seem like a good fit. Another positive of adding Fleming is that he adds another pick-and-roll partner to Trae Young's game, allowing Young to do what he does best: playmaking for his teammates around him. Fleming doesn't need the ball in his hands and can knock down shots from the perimeter. The downside of drafting Fleming to the Hawks is that he can't be a reliable go-to player on offense, as he lacks the particular abilities needed in his game to be a go-to option. His lack of quickness on defense makes it challenging for him to guard certain players, and at times, he will show a lack of discipline on defense. Lastly, his decision-making can be questioned, as he has shown that he can be rattled in pressured moments. Additionally, his lack of competition at the collegiate level, based on the conference he played in, could lead to him not becoming the player the scout and media envisioned him as at the pro level.

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