With rumors swirling around the club in the build up to the 2022 NBA Draft, the actual night of the event ended up being anticlimactic for Atlanta fans. The Hawks ended up keeping their 16th selection, picking AJ Griffin from Duke University. This marks the second draft in a row that Atlanta has selected a Duke-prospect. Jalen Johnson was selected 20th overall from Duke in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Griffin was known for his shooting prowess in his time with the Blue Devils. The 6-6 forward shot a very impressive 49.3% from the field, 44.7% from behind the arc, and 79.2% from the free throw line. In today’s NBA, a team can never have too many shooters, and Griffin was a borderline lottery-prospect, so the value at 16 was too good to pass up. Griffin is not the world’s best defender, but he is a capable one, especially with his size and frame. He will need to improve on that end of the floor to become a consistent “3&D” player in the NBA.
Atlanta also made a minor move with their 44th selection, trading the rights to Ryan Rollins of Toledo to the Golden State Warriors for cash consideration and the rights to Tyrese Martin, who was selected with the 51st pick. Martin is a forward 6-6 forward from the University of Connecticut.
Martin was a four-year college player, starting his path at the University of Rhode Island before transferring to UConn. Martin boasts averages of 11.1ppg, 6.7rpg and 1.3apg, while shooting 43.5% from the field for his college career. He is known for his high motor and tenacity.
Newly-promoted general manager, Landry Fields says that the team intends on keeping Griffin long-term, and they like what he brings to the team. Fields was a bit more noncommittal on Martin and says they will begin his evaluation when Summer League begins in July.
The NBA’s Summer League starts in early-July, so Hawks fandom will get an idea of what they will be getting from their young prospects pretty soon.
Do you like what Atlanta did in the draft? Should they have gone a different direction? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
