12. Atlanta Hawks: Denzel Valentine
The Atlanta Hawks are in a pretty interesting situation, they just acquired the pick a day before they hit the clock with the 12th overall selection. In addition, they’re entering a very new situation for head coach Mike Budenholzer. All signs point to an imminent rebuild and this selection will likely be a starting point.
For the second consecutive selection, we’ll see a Michigan State product finding a new home. Denzel Valentine is the type of player any team could use simply because he can play multiple roles for the offense. He may fall some spots because of an apparent knee issue, but it has yet to be confirmed so here’s holding out hope for him.
Denzel Valentine is a solid player, who can make a sizable impact for any team from day one. He lacks the prototypical size and athleticism typically demanded of a modern day wing player in the NBA, but his leadership and shooting ability certainly make up for it. In addition to that he is a more than capable ball-handler and distributor, an attribute that might lend itself to the Hawks experimenting with him at the 1 despite his natural position on the wing.
Next: Phoenix Suns