2016 NBA Mock Draft: USA Today links DeAndre Bembry with Atlanta Hawks

The 2016 NBA Draft is now less than one month away, and that means that fans of the Atlanta Hawks will inevitably begin to zero in on the same names. One such name is St. Joseph's swingman DeAndry Bembry, and USA Today's Derek Bodner has linked Bembry with the Hawks in his latest "team needs" mock draft:

Bembry’s been rising up draft boards of late, and his all-around game, minus the ever-crucial jump shot, could fit in well with Atlanta, especially if Kent Bazemoreleaves in free agency. While success hasn’t been there for Bembry from the perimeter, some hopeful he can add it to his game over time.

Earlier in the process, we touched on another mock draft that pegged Bembry to land in Atlanta, and it makes a ton of sense. As referenced by Bodner, the big knock on Bembry's game is with his jump shot, but the Hawks have been highly successful in working with similar projects (DeMarre Carroll, Kent Bazemore, etc.) in his regard, and there is a lot to like about Bembry's profile.

It will be very interesting to see if Bembry even falls to the number 21 pick given his recent upward momentum, but Atlanta would be hard-pressed to garner a more NBA-ready player if that is the direction they choose to move in with this pick. To be fair, no one (and I mean, no one) has any idea what the Hawks will actually do at this stage given their previous lack of interest in mid-first round selections, but Bembry is the rare player who could present a combination of safety and upside in this range.

Players like Bembry and Baylor's Taurean Prince will continue to be in the mix for the duration, but it will be intriguing to note which other athletes will find themselves repeatedly tied to the Hawks in the coming days.