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NBA Mock Draft 2014: Kentucky's James Young to the Atlanta Hawks

DraftExpress.com has updated their latest mock draft and project Kentucky forward James Young to the Atlanta Hawks.

Jamie Squire

DraftExpress.com updated their latest mock draft and project Kentucky small forward James Young to the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 15 pick of the first round.

DeMarre Carroll was surprisingly adequate as Atlanta's starting small forward for much of the season, but continuing to add depth on the wing is something the Hawks will look to address either in the draft or free agency. James Young has a long ways to go before becoming a consistent contributor, but as one of the youngest players in this draft class, time is on his side.

Young stands 6'7" and is one of a few interesting wing prospects in the 2014 Draft field. He completed one season at Kentucky and averaged 14.3 points while shooting 41 percent from the field. He knocked down 35 percent of his three-point attempts.

Draft Express describes Young as a player with prototypical size for a NBA wing. He has a 6'11" wingspan and his body should continue to improve as he ages. However, Young is not without his question marks. He relied on his jump shot more than any other player in the country and seldom operated in pick and roll and isolation situations. He's not the most dynamic or athletic prospect on the wing but he is a good shooter and was athletic enough to get the job done when called upon.

As is the case with a lot of college prospects, Young's defensive game remains a work in progress:

The same can be said for Young on the defensive end, where his lack of focus and fundamentals are limiting factors at this stage. He's a solid rebounder for his position, and plays with some energy at times, but is still figuring things out on this end of the floor. Not always getting in a stance and allowing smaller, less athletic players to get the best of him, Young's poor fundamentals, average awareness, and lack of lateral speed doesn't give him outstanding upside on this end of the floor as a pro, but he has the capacity to be more effective than he showed last year.

Here is a look at DraftExpress' scouting video on Young: