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The 2013 NBA Draft was one of the wildest and most unpredictable drafts that I have ever watched. In a lot of ways that should have been expected. After all there was no clear cut favorite for the No. 1 pick and once Anthony Bennett's name was called by the Cavaliers it set off a chain reaction that rippled its way through the rest of the first round.
When you narrow the scope to the Atlanta Hawks you see the same result. We did the research and tried to collect what data we could. Danny Ferry's decision to keep draft workouts secret made things difficult but there were plenty of reports out there. Most indicated early that Duke center Mason Plumlee was the most likely player to fall into the Hawks' hands. Then as time passed, San Diego State wing Jamaal Franklin was also linked to the Hawks.
There were other names and scenarios including Giannis Adetokunbo and a report that Atlanta might move up to grab Michigan point guard Trey Burke. None of that happened but perhaps we shouldn't have been quite as surprised as we were. In the recent past we have looked at these drafts with a short term approach and how players selected, especially those in the first round, could immediately help the team.
Danny Ferry has shown the ability to look at things from a variety of angles and in a draft like this where there were no clear cut guys, he went with two of the highest upside picks that were available.
Lucas Nogueira and Dennis Schroeder could not play for the Hawks next season although that seems to be doubtful especially in the case of Schroeder. However, both competed against quality competition last season and could perhaps develop quicker in the NBA. There is a chance we see both in summer league, training camp and in an Atlanta uniform next season. The key word here is flexibility.
Whatever the scenario, it may be a couple of seasons down the road before we know if Schroeder is a starting caliber point guard or if Nogueira can grow into a starting caliber center. If they do then Ferry likely jumpstarted the Atlanta rebuild in last night's draft.