Isaac Okoro Projected to Hawks in Mock Draft
The NBA Draft isn't scheduled to take place for another three months, but recent coronavirus-related shutdowns could push it back even further. With so little going on in the sports world right now, looking ahead to the draft is one of the few things fans and analysts can still regularly do. The Hawks will have friendly lottery odds regardless of whether or not the NBA season continues, and they don't plan on picking in the lottery for a while after this year. That makes this a particularly important draft for Travis Schlenk and the rest of the front office; getting this right would go a long way in setting their course for the 2021 season.
Last week, Sam Vecenie -- one of the preeminent experts on the draft -- released his latest mock draft at The Athletic, projecting Isaac Okoro to Atlanta with the seventh overall pick (the Hawks have the fourth-best lottery odds; Vecenie simulated the lottery to determine the order for this mock).
At 6-foot-6, with a sturdy frame and decent length, the Auburn freshman would help fill out Atlanta's wing rotation if he indeed landed there. While Cam Reddish and De'Andre Hunter showed encouraging defensive signs as rookies, the Hawks will likely always seek perimeter defenders so long as Trae Young remains one of the worst players in the NBA on that end of the floor. Okoro brings enough tenacity and versatility on that end to mitigate any concerns over positional overlap with Reddish, Hunter, and Kevin Huerter, and with the point guard and center spots largely taken care of for the near term, drafting a wing would probably make the most sense for Atlanta.
"I really can’t imagine someone better for the Hawks," Vecenie wrote. "That Auburn won a lot of close games this year isn’t an accident. The Tigers got timely scoring from some of their older guards, and Okoro helped them manufacture points through effort, athleticism and an incredibly high feel for the game."
Okoro's present and long-term offensive value remains unclear. He shot only 29 percent from beyond the 3-point line in his lone college season, and may never be a dependable shooter in the NBA. That could scare off a team like Atlanta, who wants to surround Young and Clint Capela with as much shooting and space as possible to open up its offense. Okoro can still find ways to contribute with his cutting, off-the-dribble burst, and athleticism around the basket, but the less he works with the ball in his hands, the more imperative it will become that he can stretch the defense with his jumper.
"I do have some real questions about Okoro’s offense long-term," Vecenie says. "While he is one of the best above-the-rim finishers in the country, his jump shot is still kind of a mess. He shot 29 percent from 3 this year, and has some real mechanical questions that he’s going to have to work out. Shooting is the key skill for him. Offensively, he’ll go as far as the jumper goes."
Okoro went to high school in Georgia at McEachern, and, like potential first-overall pick Anthony Edwards, has ties to Atlanta. That, however, shouldn't factor heavily into the Hawks' thinking as they enter the draft. Ultimately, they'll have to hold the value of his defense against the cost of his shooting limitations, and decide which carries greater weight.
