NBA Draft: Atlanta Hawks targets, Khaman Maluach, Thomas Sorber, Carter Bryant, Kasparas Jakucionis

NBA Draft: Atlanta Hawks targets, Khaman Maluach, Thomas Sorber, Carter Bryant, Kasparas Jakucionis

on today’s show Tower Jones is back for part two and more pre-draft talk about the Hawks and it’s coming up right now you are Locked on Hawks your daily Atlanta Hawks podcast part of the Locked On Network your team every day hello friends welcome to episode 204 of Lock on Hawks podcast i am your host Brad Roland coming to you here in NBA draft week and I’m joined by Tyler Jones of ATM129 good friend of the podcast for part two of a two-part chat about the draft if you missed it part one is available in this same podcast feed right now so listen to that one first keep it in order also today’s show is sponsored by the folks at FanDuel Sportsbook and right now if you’re a new customer get 150 in terms of dollars in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins at FanDuel i also want to encourage you as I always do at the top of the show to make locked on Hawks your first listen each and every day check us out subscribe to the podcast tell your friends we’re on Apple we’re on Spotify we’re on YouTube etc like the show ratings reviews i appreciate all the support as always one more time part one is the place to start with this conversation once you’re done with that here we go with part two myself and Tyler Jones in an effort to not make this a three-hour conversation I want to make sure I ask you about some bigs because fans want to hear about the bigs um I’ll try to leave it open-ended here um obviously I mean if you want to talk about Malawatch or Queen feel free um those Queen might be a stay at 13 guy malawak is I will be shocked if they can get him without trading up would be what I would say i I think we should talk about Malawok just because I could see the Hawks trading up for him like I he’s the look and I I don’t love trading up says before but I will also say again if they trade up for someone he is probably the most logical candidate given that he is 18 years old and absolutely massive has the connection to Kyle Corver that’s been written about the Hawks just tend to draft everyone from Duke every single season i know it’s a different front office now but they just love Duke guys for whatever reason um and like you know the measurables like you can’t fake the measurables he has and I think there is a uh simultaneous overrating of him as a current player and also it’s worth noting that that the upside is super duper sky-high when you have the tools he has is that fair yeah i I it’s just it’s one of those things where I was like man I wish he had better ball skills all this and all that and then and then you look at it like he’s I think he’s either a year and a half or two full years younger than what Joel Embiid was as a freshman uh it’s at least a year yeah yeah joel was a older freshman while Malawak is a lot younger and like I I kind of made the comparison he doesn’t play like Joel at all i I said for Malawak if you’re trading up for him you’re you’re hoping he can turn into a star caliber center and for him to do that he he just has to improve his ball skills and like he every once in a while like I I was watching more film he does show some unique traits where Yep he’ll he’ll put the ball on the floor and you’re like “Okay that was interesting.” You know that wasn’t that wasn’t nothing like he’s he he he make he does make some quick decisions with the ball in his hands um it’s just more of a project than what people realize like Hawks take him the good thing with the Hawks take him is this they don’t have to play him 25 minutes every game with with somebody as good as a Congru behind him and he won’t like he he can he can ease into the role that the Hawks might want to bring him into like a couple years from now and I and I’ve grown to not hate the trade up scenario just because of how a how flat the draft is ultimately like if if it’s just 13 and 22 I have no problem with it just overall just because you go get a second round pick you get a similar caliber player at 22 at at like 38 or 39 or whatever that’s where I’m like I’m like you could do that or or you there you know me and uh David Lee uh we talked about that on on his P podcast um with the Hawks trade exceptions that they have there they have the ability to take money back so it’s one of those things where the Hawks can get somebody who’s a little over juiced on their contract but they can move up on the in the draft and then take Malawok there so I’m like if that’s the price no problem if they’re giving up future future assets malawaka has not shown to me to be that level of talent to do that now there is a it’s interesting i know we’re not talking about we’re not talking about big we’re we’re not supposed to be talking about um this player but I was like I would if Khan Canipple slips a little bit I’ I’ve done a 180 on him i love him so if if he slips the Hawks should consider giving up future first round picks potentially because I think I think he has like real star upside in ways I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t realize you know just based on his archetype of player and what he did in college like his statistical the more film I watch the more I’m like man it’s very it’s very Luca Don not Luca but I’m saying like the way he’s able to like bully guys and then generate a good shot for himself because he’s so big and so physical it’s Devin Book like Devin Booker is so good in the post against smaller players just absolutely destroying them and and creating uh separation for himself luca does it and I think I think Kon Kibble could do that at the next level combined with uh his catch and shoot ability and and just his overall feel for the game and like I I actually think defensively he’s he’s a lot better than what I realized just because he’s out how how strong he is and he competes and so like to me I’m like that’s the type of player because the Hawks don’t have another real shot creator outside of Trey Young and I think Khan could be in a role where he’s playing off of Trey and then he can drive the offense a little bit without Trey and and be that type of basketball player so like to me if Khan’s like if he slips for whatever which I don’t think he he might go as high as three honestly but like if he were to fall I wouldn’t consider it i would I would consider doing what I can to get him just because uh I think he has a chance to be be a consistent allstar in this league where I don’t think that of Malaw i think he has potential to do that i’m I’m more confident in Khan’s ability to get there as a player so that that’s where I am with trading up yeah I I think Malawatch you’re right i mean it’s um honestly not a bad comparison is like Mark Williams i’ve seen that one out there another Duke guy similar measurables i think Malaw watches defense will be better than Mark Williams has been so far but Mark Williams is a heck of an offensive player already it’s just that and he’s not like a top 10 center like he’s a starting center like he’s a good player but like if that’s what you’re going to get you wouldn’t be thrilled with that i don’t think trading up you’d be fine with it probably he’s a good player but like I don’t know there’s a there’s an interesting like in I feel like every comparison for my watch is either Rudy Gobear or like I’m not a good player and it’s like well there’s a big gap between those two things you know like I don’t know it’s I think it’s just interesting is brought to you by Monarch Money we’ve all done this in the past I’m sure but at times I looked at my bank account wonder where actually all my money happens to go between dining out and online shopping and entertainment it’s easy to lose track sometimes that’s where Monarch Money comes in for you monarch Money is your personal CFO giving you full visibility control of your finances and at Monarch Money they’re not just a budgeting app it’s a complete financial command center you can actually track all of your accounts your investments that you’re spending in one place you can stop just managing your 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charge one more time it’s openphone.com/locktonba open phone no missed calls no missed customers and the the other thing that’s that people have to take in mind um is that the Hawks can always just simply trade the 22nd pick for a backup like honestly they probably could trade 22 for Mark Williams like we’re being honest like I mean they could Yeah that’s something that I It’s It’s hard to It’s just It’s just one of those things where it’s like or Daniel Gaff you know Daniel Gaffford uh insert highflying center here the Hawks could uh Robert uh Robert Williams uh Time Lord in Portland i’ve been I mean you know you know me I’ve been saying this for six weeks now like there’s this belief that the Hawks just have to draft a center and it’s like no they have to acquire a center they have to acquire a center and and and the and the reason why I’m bringing all these names up is just it deludes or it devalues the idea of you have to trade up to get Malawak because I’m like if the value is just taking on a veteran center who’s probably who’s definitely better today Yeah than what Malawak is now like you know when you already have a Congo who again last year was I I know people think Aongu was too small for the position i I don’t I don’t know how come how this has happened all of a sudden when I literally watched him like be really good to end the year uh and like car the Hawks don’t win 40 games if Kamu is not the starting center like he pretty much like he sneakily saved the season like him and Dyson Daniel saved the Hawks season when Jaylen Johnson got hurt cuz they stepped up in ways that were I’m pretty sure surprising to the organization and if so I’m gonna back you up real fast if you start when au took over the starting center job for that from that point to the end of the season unequivocally and I’ll be conservative here he was a top 20 center in the league from that point forward like very Clearly probably higher than that but top 27 in the league from that point forward again that’s conservative and it’s so funny to me not to go down this rabbit hole too much we spent how long three years probably even longer than that people calling for a congu he gets the job he plays really well and then we spend two months and counting of people saying he can’t play center and it’s like I understand there just the hype it’s never going to change you and I know this before that anybody um Al Horford is probably going to the Hall of Fame Tyler and there are people still in 2025 telling me he wasn’t a center and he can’t play center it’s like he’s going to the Hall of Fame playing center we’re still doing that so it’s never going to stop but like we got to be I I would even and by the way my vitrial is more about that but even nationally and go back to the beginning of of our conversation today the very top of this a lot of the perception a lot of the rival executives say quote unquote stuff about the Hawks drafting a center is because there is a belief that and look people that I think are really smart are still saying this it’s like oh the Hawks have to get a center it’s like oh why i mean is it did you anybody watch a Congo play the last two and a half months of the season three months of the season a Congu A Congo got hit so hard for the fact that Barlo failed as a backup center like 100% like a Congo would literally go out the game it would be Barlo and Yang or Capella and Yang and it’d be disaster street on defense and then like everybody’s like “Well Aong is the problem.” And I’m like “These these teams see Barlo and they see food out there on the defensive because they’re asking him to anchor a defense next to George Nang.” Like complete by the way what the Hawks did with Barlo to end a year completely unfair to him as a player like strong strong agree that that was that was ridiculous from the he he played a role in the G he did not anchor a defense ever in the G-League then in the NBA they’re like “Yeah you’re going to be our backup center excuse I have I I have a stat for you uh post Allstar break and we’re off the rails but that’s fine allstar break on the Hawks had a plus 4.4 4 net rating with a Congo on the court that’s a top eight team in the league level net rating with him on the court when he was off the court they got outscored fairly solidly so and that by the way was without Jaylen the entire time they had a plus 4.4 net rating without Jaylen Johnson with a cong that’s a weapon like four and and Trey Trey’s offense was a lot better with a Congu risha was a lot better with a Congu on offense dice the team was just better with inca like he he makes a lot of things work on both ends so that’s why I’m like I want to pump the brakes a lot of people were like Hawk’s got to draft a big I’m like okay they can draft one just understand he’s probably not better going to be better than a con scale contract period i mean almost certainly not if we’re being 100% if we’re being 100% honest the chances of staying at 13 drafting a big man and having that player be better than a Kongu is not high it’s quite low actually now it’s possible not saying it’s not possible but like people also have a very unrealistic expectation of what the 13th pick gets you now obviously you could hit it you could hit it i’m not saying you can’t you can you can bam out of bio was what the 14th pick like you can get guy I have a million examples giannis was the 15th pick i get it you can get a star there no one said you can’t but the baseline expectation for the 13th pick if you get a starter you are dancing in the streets at 13 overall like if you get a seventh man you’re fine at 13 like you mentioned this is going to be controversial i’m sure it always is people never want to hear this you mentioned Torian Prince earlier in our conversation torian Prince i I don’t love Tory Prince as a player he was a 12th pick in the draft he is he he’s basically a totally fine 12th pick in the draft like he became a He’s still playing in the league now it’s been a long time he’s a useful player he’s a rotation guy on a quality team and has been for a while now i’m not saying you’re excited about that but like acting like that’s a bad pick at 12 is not really the thing so long story short if you want to trade it from watch whatever we can talk about Derek Queen if you want to but the chances of draft sitting there at 13 and drafting a guy who’s better than a Kong Woo isn’t high it’s just not i’m sorry like and by the way you don’t you don’t always agree with this point so I’ll let you rebut me i will always make the point the vast majority of teams play two centers like a lot like not together but like most teams don’t have a 35 minute a game center nope it’s like they do what the not not exactly what the Hawks have done but like they had like a 2820 kind of split at center and if you don’t think a Kong Woo is the greatest center I’m not saying he’s the greatest player of the world he’s not he’s a good player you need two everybody needs two unless you have Joic or something you probably need two the Nuggets need two well of course but you know what I mean like I’m playing 38 minutes a game or whatever but and and the Nuggets lose every game because of those those 12 to 15 minutes he off the floor that that kills him every time and and that’s where I’m like you you need in today’s NBA you need like a starter caliber backup like that’s just the reality of Well yeah i mean more like a top Yeah we say like like a top three player some or or somebody who you’re comfortable with starting games for you as your backup we talk about prospects like we should talk about prospects because let I want to talk I want to I want to harp on Queen a bit because Yeah let’s do that okay so I liked I liked Derek Queen to start the year and then the season you know season went on I kind of soured on him a little bit just because um honestly the shot just wasn’t where it needs to be considering his defense like he he just he he just to me I I didn’t think he was ever going to really shoot it at a high enough level on that side of the floor though you know he he he might be able to get there it just it just depends the thing that worried me was that on Kevin Pelton’s you know statistical rankings he was out like what outside the top 60 like he had him listed at 32 only because of what um let me see what what did it say exactly i had it i’m looking yeah he is number 6 62 in the stat in the stats only model 62 in the stats model like and like KP’s stats models are pretty good like they’re not perfect they’re not perfect and and there’s some flaws with them which which you know Kevin will talk about that’s why he he pairs them with the u the top 100 board of ESPN’s just to give a give a give an average but like 62 like that’s tough and the reasons make sense like he it’s not really a rim protector not really a havoc creator like his defense is just a mess well I was gonna say that that the reason why he is that low and I’m reading Pelton’s thing right now is it’s a combination of multiple things but it’s the super bad defensive numbers like basically no habit generation and um it’s hard to explain this but like low blockage steel rates also are not good offensive indicators always like you want to be active and show his athletes and all that also he was not a super efficient two-point shooter for a center now there’s a school of thought that he’s not a center which is also fine i’m not saying he definitely is a center only player but that that’s where I’m like I don’t think he’s a center however if he’s not a center then yes that’s that goes to my point about he has to shoot it better and like I don’t know if he’s ever going to really shoot it i I think honestly he’s probably closer to the Julius Randall comp than than um what people realize where it’s a good player and and I think he can get there but he he just has a lot to work on he he has to get he has to lose weight he’s got to get stronger um but like the skill level is there and the Hawks do have the personnel to support him i just don’t know if he’s good enough offensively to justify that where it’s like yeah he could take pressure off Trey but if it’s just the Jonte Murray offense all over again what’s the point you know so it’s just it’s a tough cell and that’s why I’m like Queen even if he’s there at 13 like I I don’t know about him well I do think so i I not to go back to the mock draft again but I took him at 13 i didn’t love it and if I had unlimited time to negotiate I think this is what what what I would personally want to do if he fell to 13 is probably put him up for sale and be like “All right we we’ll take him but if anybody wants him come get him.” And I’d probably rather trade down a couple spots and get some stuff than draft Garrett Queen as the Hawks now there are people in my life I think are very smart draft people including Ben Feifer who was on the show the other day who have Queen like in the top five i don’t have him that high but like I get how you get there he’s really talented offensively he really is like this his creation ability all those things i just don’t love the fit i don’t and I don’t want to overweight fit but there’s a lot of ways it can go wrong is what I would say if it hits he’s going to be a star i really think that if it hits and and like and to my defense point if he faults the Hawks and the Hawks take him Quinn will not play him until he shows something on defense like he just won’t play him and so it’s one of those things where it’s like he’s he’s going to have to he’s going to have to figure something out on the defensive side of the floor and again when you have a Moay you know and a Jaylen Johnson I do think he’d be an awesome fit with Mo like that’s not why that’s not why you dropped a player but you had But I’m saying these these are type of players that the Hawks already have on the roster like they can support Queen but he has to give a lot more effort and physicality on the defensive side if he wants to see the floor and and so that’s why I’m like I can see I can see both sides i just think if it comes down to it between Queen and Sober and the Hawks are like we ought to draft the big at 13 i think I’d rather have Sober uh just because like I’m comfortable with him on both ends of the floor i know what he is like I think I think um a good comp I ca I came with him was like Taj Gibson where never never a star or even a starter caliber player but like somebody who helps your team win games and I think that’s what sober is going to do at the next level with his size and measure is brought to you by FanDuel sports book summer sports are now in full swing whether all about baseball under the lights golf on the greens or highix soccer action FanDuel is the best way to make every game even more exciting exciting if you’re already following the action why not make it a little bit more thrilling you can 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Sorber I like him a lot i always have like he is not if I went back and forth with somebody a Hawks fan this week about him because he’s not a sevenfooter but he he does have a 76 wingspan which is the same as Ryan Kulkrunner uh he also weighs 262 pounds he is a big man that’s what people don’t understand like NBA players aren’t that big anymore and like I am not at all concerned about his size that’s why I’m saying that i I don’t I know he’s not he’s not Malawatch as far as length i get that but he’s also not a congu like and I also don’t worry about Kongu size that much but look there are some matchups where yeah it be great if the Kongu was a little bigger than he is tom Sorber is a NBA’s center size player like I’m not worried about that at all it’s he’s different than Capella but something I’ve said before and I’ll say again here like no one ever brought up Capella not being a sevenfooter what do you want but you know what I mean though capella’s not tall capella is like might be an inch taller than than a Congo it’s it’s well and that’s the funniest thing like with with Clint and maybe it’s the way he plays also he was at his peak was awesome defensively we all know we all know that but like it didn’t become a conversation that he wasn’t seven feet tall because of the way he played and he was he was totally fine to be a center size he’s never been the biggest guy he’s 6’10 like he’s not um Sorber’s bigger than Clint sorber is massive man his shoulders like that’s a big guy so not worried about that at all i don’t think he has super star upside i don’t see that with Sorber so if you are swinging for upside he is not you’re going to be your pick i don’t think but if you want a projectable like I think he’s gonna be an NBA starter that level player and you know he’s he’s been comped to that’s a good Taj Gibson he’s been comped to like Wendell Carter Jr um he’s gotten comps to like the healthy younger version of Kavon Looney who was quite good for example like those are not sexy comps i totally understand that isaiah Stewart would be a good comp for him as well just like like Stewart’s probably better athlete but Sorber’s bigger has better feel like Sorber’s passing is what I love about him probably maybe the most like he’s really feels the game extremely well so I he’s one of those guys like if they draft him and it would not surprise me at all people will not be pom poming that pick i don’t think I think anybody’s going to hate it necessarily but like it won’t be he’s not like even someone like Maxim Moreno who I have quite a bit lower than Thomas Sorber it’s an if you don’t if you don’t watch these guys play is an easier sell seven foot listing i average 20 and 10 and I can shoot that’s my Marino that’s an easier sell to a fan honestly than Thomas Sorber it’s like because you can see it like you can see the the framing of it all um even other guy like so Baron Jay is the opposite of Sorber in a lot of ways this is John Baron Jay who’s like the project guy right he’s 18 he’s honestly got a lot of Capella comparisons which is kind of funny for this fan base in particular but Baron Jay is like not ready to play at all right now stormer can play right now i think Sora can play in the NBA today i don’t think he’s gonna be awesome because he’s a rookie but like if you gota play him he’ll be fine barja can’t play right now like he’s that’s an 18-year-old raw toolsy the things that Sorber is not have you seen much of Barja you you’ve been watching him yeah he’s a typical run jump he’s the run jump guy draft class probably the most run jumpy that’s why I mean Yeah especially the young like they the the Houston Clint comp the young Clint comp especially he’s not as explosive though as Clint Clint was just a better basketball player even at this agree but also he’s also bigger than he’s also bigger than Clint he’s taller he’s he’s definitely taller um and and just a flatout bigger player that that’s where it’s like but if if you’re taking him you got to understand he’s playing the entire season in G-League like one whole year almost almost certainly and so you just have to be comfortable with that you know and and it’s it goes to my point where I’m like okay is there much val what what’s the value of taking him at 13 instead of taking I don’t know a um a wing or a a four type player and then like yeah taking another fly like like we’re not talking about Roco Sigarsski here um but like another guy I would I would much rather the Hawks just in general trade for a second round pick and take Rocco as a complete flyer because he’s or same same deal just like I would rather they do that than use a first round pick on somebody who’s not going to play like if you if they use sober at 13 I have no problem well I I was a lot more interested in Baron Jay as the Hawks when you know two weeks ago before he Well three weeks ago maybe longer before he got measured he measured huge and it was like maybe he gets to 22 i was like “All right 22 like sure I’m going to be barren J 22 you’re talking about a lottery pick and look I I’ll be 13 to 22 is not a massive gap but there if you’re talking about a guy like this where he is not going to play for you anytime soon it is more of a compare.” Like so for instance Noah Sing is not a center only player and he’s might take a while too but like that’s a little bit easier for me to see because you got the mult multi-position thing if whether you like him or not i’m not even I’m not that in on him but like he has the like raw clay of a potential superstar if it all comes together perfectly kind of thing i’m not saying it’s going to happen baron Jay the upside is just like you said rim running center and there’s real value in that like if he becomes a really good one of those that’s a really good player but he’s not gonna be a superstar doing that yeah that’s a good player but like that’s the difference for me if you’re drafting a guy you think could be an actual superstar in three years which again I’m not saying SA can do that but there’s people who believe that he has the clay of that that’s easier to sell at 13 as a project than I think to 13 is going to be like maybe a top 10 center one day like whatever here’s my thing here’s my thing it’s like if I want a run and jump guy I’ll just take Austin Newell at 22 right he’s a way more he’s a much better basketball player than a lot of these guys we’ve talked about he just doesn’t have a position similar to Color Bo um but like I think he there’s like Mo Gay like outcomes for him defensively if he buys into that on the defensive side of the floor and I think he can i think he actually did it um at the lower levels more than what he did Georgia georgia Georgia was a uh he he was in a different role he they do different stuff he was by far the best player and Yeah i don’t think that was the best place for him to be but yeah yeah yeah but like he was he’s he was good he was productive i I feel comfortable him being a third fourth big in the league for a long time and it’s I don’t know if he has starter upside i wouldn’t take like I wouldn’t take Assa with the 13th pick but at 22 I’m also not sure he’s a center which and at 22 maybe he can be both you know and and that’s fair and that’s fair but I’m like my thing is going back to the CNB point just in general the Hawks need depth at the big man pos they they need guys who they can trust to put out there and play mints like they can’t go into next year and then like all these injuries happen it’s like all right Terence man power forward here you go well and if they if they draft Baron Jay to go back but if you draft Baron Jay that does nothing for you this season zero by the way I’m not saying you can’t take him but like you have to get somebody else now and I’ll be the first to say all with all these rookies even Sorber who I think is like more ready to play you probably need another option too because in case he’s just a rookie and like you might need Larry Nance like you might need somebody else with that guy even Malaw Malaw is going to be a 19year-old center like he’s not gonna be awesome as a rookie he’s just not so but with Baron Jay like he can’t he won’t even be on the roster like he’s gonna be in College Park so you have to you can fill that job somewhere else but that that does all matter with what you’re trying to do as far as adding depth because we we all agree Kevin and I talked about this last time on the show episode 2000 they need front court depth everyone knows that it’s not a big surprise but they have to add it via whatever method could be a draft but you don’t draft for that my not to do my whole spiel again but you do not draft for rookie season performance you’re taking guys that you think are going to be really good in a couple years it matters where they can play for you as rookies and that you have to put the rest of your roster together that’s how it matters but like you can’t bank on any of these guys being good as rookies like you just can’t like you can’t do it so and CNB I mean CB I think you and I agree cnb would be able to play in the NBA right now but I don’t know how good he’s going to be on offense in particular as a rookie like it might take a little bit of time to figure it out he’s got that unusual skill set defensively I think he could do it right now would not be a problem but you know maybe like you could convince me that Nick Clifford could play or or Walter Clayton Jr could play 12 minutes a game right now and be fine but that’s not why you take those guys it’s just not yeah nick I I wish I just wish Nick was like bigger physically like even if he just weighed like if he was if Nick Clifford was like 215 220 I’d like him a lot more speaking of a guy who who Pelton’s model hated Nick Clifford he’s way down on Pelton’s model which for your player I get it like there’s some age stuff in there that’s built in i don’t I don’t know but that’s it’s his shooting like I don’t I don’t think he’s going to shoot it at the next level and it is and it’s like okay you’re a six what 65 power forward with a 68 wingspan like I don’t know how how that plays at the next level like um so he he but he would be an interesting guy at 22 uh we have we haven’t talked about some guys like Noah and S like Noah I think he honestly the more I’m watching the more saloon I’m seeing and I’m worried about him like he he would I think he’s too risky i I think he’s just too risky i understand the star upside but I’m not I think at 20 like I I think he’s got too much juice like I think 13’s too high for him right now and and that’s and that’s totally fine i I’m saying I can at least see the reason because like he’s not going to fall much further than that if if that even Yeah he’s going he’s going lottery but like to me I’m like uh it’s a lot of it’s a lot of run and jump it’s a lot of run and jump you know so I was going to say we should we should just do rapid fire on a bunch of you guys haven’t been talked about um is there a guard like an actual guardsized player that you would take at 13 casper Yaku Yakushon he’s there at 13 and I think there’s a decent chance somebody’s got to drop right somebody’s got Yeah somebody will whether it’s Queen or Yakoson or Essen Gay Carter Bryant one of those guys is gonna fall it’s funny i don’t and also like um I don’t hate Igor Denim like I don’t know if I take him at 13 i don’t hate him either it’s just I don’t love him like some people do i 22 I would be in 13 i’m I’m going to say this kp’s me uh model loves him so yeah uh that that’s one of those things where and I get why I get why and I it I think BYU was I think he was just miscast what what he was asked to do at BYU so he he’s an interesting guy but Yak Yakushon I think is just a more talented player or he’s I don’t know if more talented is the right term he’s the more physical player like he’s just bigger so he has I think he has more um safety than with E he’s not as not as tall obviously but yeah more physical the way the the question with Eigor is like if it works what are you actually getting from it so that that’s kind of also well especially in Atlanta that’s the thing about that like I think the way to get to loving Eigor is like as a almost a primary initiator and he ain’t doing that in Atlanta so uh you know maybe maybe you hate Trey it’s one of those I don’t know i think he he’s such a unique guy like I he’s very interesting i would I wouldn’t hate it at 13 i don’t understand why I wouldn’t if he didn’t if he didn’t have the ball so like if you look at his numbers against good teams and bad teams he did not play well against good teams if if that didn’t if that didn’t exist to me I would be more excited about him but it’s just like I don’t think it’s going to work but you know to counter that like at the next level he’s not going to be at the top of the marquee on on the That is also fair yeah probably ever like I don’t think he has the offensive left side to be that and so then you get the added value of a guy another guy who can bring the ball up the floor at 69 his passing is legitimately awesome too legitimately awesome passing and he’s a good like he’s a good finisher around the rim like that’s something where it’s like all right we got to explore some stuff with him we may maybe there’s some upside with him as a shooter if he’s not asked to take 30footers you know every third play which I you know there’s just a lot of weird stuff with him but I’m intrigued by Igor as a basketball player last Carter Bryant yeah i mean Carter Bryant I it’s so funny and this is a safe space right i recently I can’t on this show or somewhere else i compared him to Marvin Williams people got very mad at me you know what I mean in that Marvin Williams at 13 in the draft is a great pick if it works like that and people get really mad because Marvin went two obviously it’s the wrong pick we all understand Marvin played in the league for a long time was a good player for a long time simil and I’m not even comparison it was more like the profile of like hey they were like kind of six to man in college on really good teams similar measurables good athletes didn’t do a lot in college mormon was like a role player whoa brad Brad that that’s where as a North Carolina fan I I got I know I’m not saying exactly it’s not exactly I know Marvin Marvin Marvin Williams was really good in college like I know he was it’s not they don’t win the title without Marvin Williams because like he was their differencemaker i don’t it’s hard to say he he was the best player because again he was coming off the bench but that was the politics he was one of the He was clearly the the most like NBA talented player on that team and people have forgotten this now marvin Williams was a consensus top five pick in that draft everyone love Marvin Williams so So I I’m just I’m defending Marvin like it’s fine i love Marvin i’m defend I want to get I want to get I want to get back to Carter Bryant the The thing that separates those two is like Marvin was just a better offensive player overall like he he found ways to score in ways that to Bryant worries me but like the to me like overall if he’s there at 13 the defense was just so good i almost don’t care that much because unlike Dylon Terry which who also has a sim had a similar profile Carter Bryant is a much better offensive player much he’s also he’s also much bigger bigger exactly he’s got he’s got legitimate forward size 67 foot with a with a seven foot wings span like and because he’s bigger he has more outs on the offensive side of the floor to be productive and and defensively yeah so that that’s where it’s like that’s where it’s like at 13 considering how productive he was on defensive side of the floor uh considering his measurables his size how how he plays with strength pretty well um really on both ends of the floor and he he does some stuff passing that that’s intriguing that suggest maybe he has some more juice but like 13 I’m would be fine with If the guys I like aren’t there that that’s where that’s where my addresses more more and more and this is too deep in this podcast to say this whatever uh more and more if all like if none none of the top top guys fall or like CNB goes 11 or something like that I’m more and more in the like take either Cedric Coward or Carter Bryant yeah train because I and I make this point a lot like you just can’t have too many wings every every team wants them and both those guys have two-way outcomes they’re different players coward’s much more of an offensive focused the shooting all those things bryant’s more of like a athletic two-way wing forward kind of type projection but like I would just keep taking bets on wings and every time I say that someone’s like “Well the Hawks already have I know i know they already have Dyson i know they already have Zack i know there have Jaylen i get it you can’t have too many you just can’t and if you do you can trade them for a lot you know what I mean like if you find if you look up and you’re like man you know we have too many two-way 68 guys okay trade one for two first round picks like you can do that so I’m more and more on that train like and by the way they could both be gone that’s possible too 10 11 12 whatever but I really do like Coward and to a slightly lesser extent uh Bryant but I think Bryant like it’s a weird projection because I know for you know how this is gonna go Tyler if they draft Carter Bryant on Wednesday and someone slaps up his per game averages on the screen people are going to be like we did this in college and I’m like hey I get it he was a very He was misused at Arizona honestly shout outs to my guy Scott Coleman my my coach on the baseball side that’s an Arizona actually works there but he he was he didn’t he didn’t play enough they were much better when he played all the onoff splits love Carter Bryant they were much better when he played people that I people that Arizona people like yelling about him not playing enough all these things he’s still an 18-year-old like he’s going to take he won’t be super awesome as a rookie but I I’m generally going to default to wing forward bets i just like wing forward bets all equal but so I don’t know about you my kind of circle of non-trade up 13 and we’ll get out of here Murray Boils Sorber Coward Bryant and maybe Yakasha if you that’s kind of my five where I’m like I’m really happy on Wednesday if they one of those guys falls to them they take any of those guys i’m not saying that those are the only picks i don’t I don’t ever say that but like me personally that’s my five in that range that are realistic again if somebody falls to you they fall to you but like get one of those and I’m pretty happy personally so you’re not a Danny Wolf guy just end the podcast uh not a 13 no I I think Danny would be totally fine at 22 i I’m not super high on him would be totally fine at 22 i get it the bet the talent the way he moves as a sevenfooter he’s apparently been shooting really well in workouts like that didn’t happen in college but if that’s real that he becomes a lot more I’ve said hund times if he either defends better or shoots better I’m in you need one of those two and so far he has not done either one of those things shoot or defend but if he shoots I’m way more excited i like him though a 22 not not a 13 i’m not a fan personally uh I’m not either i mean I have I have him like 27 or 28 on my board so like he’s not a guy I would personally take i’m just saying I get it and look this is such a boring thing you gotta you gotta kind of work harder for me to like not like the 22nd pick in this draft there’s so many guys that I’d be like I get it he’s one of those guys anybody you don’t like while we’re here anybody you just hate that you watch you’re like no I’m not I’m not on that guy it’s fine if you don’t have anybody i’m just curious you know what’s interesting i don’t think I hate per se i think I could gaslight myself into any one of these guys um so it’s one it’s it’s interesting like I I’m I think I think it but it’s the nature of this draft like I think I would hate it i would hate it if CMBB is there and they take Igor Denim or even uh Kasparis like that Kasparis Yakushonis or if they take Asan like it it’ll depend on like what they do there at 13 like if they take a somebody I feel has less upside or isn’t really doesn’t really fill a gap that the Hawks actually have more on a of a complete flyer because like taking Eigor at 13 would be a complete flyer and I’m like all right you did that I I get it but you know we could have shown up you know with Carter Bryant or Color Balls in ways that we can’t with Eigor so that that that’s where that’s where I wouldn’t like it but I don’t hate Igor Dim i think I’d be fine with him if the Hawks were to take him you you use the term Gastly it’s it’s funny like I can make a honestly I I tried to do this to myself the other day as a as an exercise i was like can I make the case for all of these guys like everyone to like 40 on my board like okay what’s the case at as high as 22 and some guys it’s harder than others for sure or even as even 13 but like you can kind of see it with most of these players even if I don’t like them as much like I I just did it with Danny Wolf like Danny Wolf I’m objectively lower on than some other people but like I get it i do get it totally like it’s not hard to sell me like it can work so anyway we’re off the rails but wide range you heard the guys that Tower likes um we’ll maybe reconvene at some point between the draft and summer league or something like that see what see what see what they do otherwise because look it’s not it’s hard to talk about this the draft is not a done in a vacuum you’re you’re drafting in conjunction with other things they could make a trade on draft night they could make a trade today we we don’t know what they’re doing right now and then you have that period that very short period between the draft and the open of free agency where the Hawks have decisions to make carous stuff out there they got trade exception stuff out there they got all this stuff it’s not done in a vacuum but that was the draft conversation that you and I had And Marvin Williamstock of course marvin my goat yeah sorry i Hey respect for Marvin to this day not his fault it’s not his fault he went to one of the worst organizations in sports when the Hawks drafted him that was that was true uh and he still made managed to find a way to play for a long time uh now if you want to crap on Sheldon Williams I’m all ears not his fault either but uh he was actually bad whereas Marvin wasn’t marvin was actually a good player sheldon Williams sheldon uh that that’s an ASG conversation we can have for another day that was uh promised him at five uh Tyler at the end of the podcast where would you like people to follow your work i know you’re on uh you’re you’re on you’re on the Blue Sky you’re a co-host of a prominent Atlanta Hawks podcast what’s going on yep you can find me at Anaz2X4 on Blue Sky um where I’m not giving many takes right now that are too exciting i’m not happy with what’s happening around the world so it’s kind of ruining it’s kind it’s kind of ruining all my fun um but uh and then you can also listen to me on ATL29 with uh Kevin Shannard and Glenn Willis where we’ve kind of I think we’ve hit all the big players that we wanted to talk about like we’ve we’ve done a really good I feel like we’ve done a good deep dive on a lot of these guys that we talked about on the podcast here for last couple of shows so you can you can follow us there on that um in anime wreck I know you didn’t ask bra but I just want to No that was the last thing we got to do go ahead we’re here um give AA 13 a chance uh it’s on Crunchyroll it’s honestly it’s very unique it’s a unique show it’s it’s like it’s more government espionage but it’s it’s also lowmaintenance like it’s the stakes aren’t that high people aren’t dying left and right like it’s a very adult mature show in a in a way that I find like I’m really enjoying I’m really enjoying like the the slow the slow build of it right now i’m about five episodes in so I’m really enjoying that but uh give AA 13 a shot if you have time there you have it well this is going to go up uh at the end of the NBA finals so if you made it this far postfinals it’s draft week i still will always hate that the finals end the week of the draft it just it’s I hate that but here we are tyler thanks for being here i appreciate it as everybody else please subscribe to this podcast tell your friends we’ll have much more to come between now and the big day on Wednesday and we’ll see everybody next time

Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) hosts Episode 2004 of the Locked on Hawks podcast, and he is joined by Tyler Jones (@Jonesy2x4) of ATL and 29 for Part 2 of a 2-part conversation. The show focuses on the Atlanta Hawks and the 2025 NBA Draft, including prospects like Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, Noa Essengue, Thomas Sorber, Carter Bryant, Kasparas Jakucionis, and more.

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