4. De’Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks
De’Andre Hunter boosted his draft stock immensely in his sophomore year after a freshman season where he never cracked the starting lineup. He hangs his hat on the defensive side of the ball, where he has the ability and size to guard multiple positions. This defensive ability that he brings with him right out of the gates will help the Hawks who struggle defending the perimeter.
Trae Young, John Collins and Cam Reddish will give the Hawks plenty of scoring ability from their young core. Hunter offers them an instant impact 3-and-D player who has star potential.
His fit alongside the rest of the Hawks lineup will help him reach that potential if his game continues to see the development it did in college. Hunter showed the ability to play off the ball and impact the game in any facet his team needed.
Also, while it may have been college, Hunter had the best game of his career during the National Championship game. He dropped 27 points and 9 rebounds while holding his fellow top-10 pick, Jarrett Culver, to just 5-22 shooting.
I expect that Hunter will have a great impact on a very young and talented Hawks team, even if the raw stats don’t show as much.
Stat Projections: 10.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 47% FG, 38% 3PT