The prodigy is officially on his way to the big leagues. Though the decision was never truly in question, Duke superstar Zion Williamson recently declared for the NBA draft. The likely number-one overall pick has become a household name as a college player–a feat rarely accomplished in a world where the mighty NBA towers over college basketball.
The New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Phoenix Suns finished with the three worst records in the league, giving them each a 14% chance of attaining that number-one pick in the lottery. The Chicago Bulls had the fourth-worst record, and the Atlanta Hawks were fifth. As a result, the Hawks have a 10.5% chance of getting that highly-coveted first overall pick.
While it’s unlikely the Hawks get the ping pong balls to fall their way, anything is possible in a lottery. There’s definitely still a possibility that they steal the first pick. In the 2014 draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a minuscule 1.7% chance of landing the number-one pick, but the lottery, for some reason, chose them. And so the Hawks, with the league’s fifth-worst record, are still in play for Zion Williamson.
If the ping pong balls do bounce favorably on May 14, the Hawks would be adding Zion to a promising young core of Trae Young and John Collins.
Let’s take a look at the fit Zion Williamson would have with the Hawks, and why it might be one of the best situations he could go to.
The Hawks’ 29-53 record is a result of youth and inexperience. But the talent is there. Trae Young led the team this year, having had an explosive second half of the season. Young averaged 9.2 assists per game after the All-Star break, third in the league in that span behind only Russell Westbrook and LeBron James. Young also averaged 24.7 points per game after the break.
Young and Collins have formed a formidable young duo in Atlanta. Collins had a breakout sophomore season, averaging 19.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Collins complements Young’s shooting by being an athletic power forward who can either roll to the rim or pop out and nail a jumper.
The Hawks also have the talents of scoring wing Taurean Prince and budding rookie Kevin Huerter. But it’s Young and Collins that have Hawks’ fans excited for the future, and rightly so.
Now what if you add the most dynamic college player in the country to that equation?
Zion Williamson would bring his 6’7”, 285-pound frame alongside Young and Collins to form an explosive offense that could take Atlanta to the next level. Zion is an elite finisher, passer, rebounder, and shot-blocker. He plays with an energetic fury that makes one rethink how a basketball player should be built.
He isn’t thin and lanky like many GM’s prefer a power forward to be in today’s positionless NBA. Instead, he uses his massive frame to bully defenders down low, but has the quickness to blow by them on the perimeter. And somehow, with his massive frame, he possesses the unique ability to elevate and dunk over nearly anyone.
The Atlanta Hawks led the league in PACE this past season, measuring a team’s possessions per game. They played at a blistering pace led by the driving and shooting of Trae Young. With Duke, Zion thrived in transition, using his agility and quickness to get to the rim. Adding an explosive athlete like Zion would give an already-speedy Hawks team another foundational weapon to build around.
Imagine a possession where Collins snags a defensive rebound and tosses it to Trae Young. Young speeds his way past half-court, with Zion trailing closely. Young would pause at the three-point line, luring the defenders in transition to jump out at him. But instead of shooting, he dishes to Zion, who races down the lane and slams it home. A defense would have to pick their poison in transition of a Trae Young triple or a Zion Williamson dunk–both great options for the Hawks' offense.
With Young’s shooting and Collins’ ability to pop out, the floor would also open up for Zion to drive and take any opposing power forward or center off the dribble. In addition, Young could have his choice to run the pick-and-roll with either Collins or Williamson. And both combinations would be deadly for an opposing defense to have to defend: stick with Young, who could pull up from 30 feet, or stay home and guard Collins or Williamson, both of whom are athletic enough to finish at the rim.
At the end of the day, the Hawks still have a lot of work to do. For starters, their defense has been terrible, ranking 28th in the NBA in defensive rating this season. Zion would help to reverse that, but there is still much work to be done.
But if they are indeed lucky enough to land the consensus number-one pick, they’d be building a dynamic offense that can really get out and run. With John Collins blooming and Trae Young on his way to becoming the next Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson would fit in beautifully in taking the team to the next level.
And for Zion, the Hawks present a much better opportunity to win now than the Knicks, Cavaliers, or Suns. The Knicks' future will depend on who they're able to get with all the money they have this summer. The Cavs would pair Zion with Kevin Love, but the rest of the young roster is still growing. And while the Suns would have Zion playing with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton, earning a playoff berth in the crowded Western Conference would be tough.
The Hawks, though, are going to be fun to watch in the years to come, regardless of where they end up in the draft. Trae Young is in the Rookie of the Year conversation, and one of the most promising young players in the NBA. And if they’re able to add Zion to their athletic and speedy core, the Hawks could become beasts in the East, and possibly even enter title contention sooner than anyone might have thought.
And to think, how high the Hawks can fly all depends on the bounce of 14 ping pong balls.
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