NBA Mock Draft 9.0: LaMelo Ball falls out of the top 3; Knicks snag Obi Toppin

6. Atlanta Hawks – Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State

Selection and commentary: Ryan Mitchell 

The word “genius” is handed out too often in NBA circles, but for Tyrese Haliburton, it’s well deserved. Haliburton’s most obvious skill is his passing, but his elite basketball IQ makes him equally dangerous away from the ball, both as a cutter/shooter and in help-side defense where he excels at playing passing lanes (over 2 steals per 40 minutes in college).

Haliburton’s shooting, despite his slow and unorthodox form, is very efficient. He shot 42 percent from three during his two seasons at Iowa State and ranked in the 97th percentile on catch-and-shoot jump shots last season. His slow release and lack of burst make him more of a scoring threat away from the ball, but that fits perfectly next to Trae Young’s ball dominance as the primary scorer and facilitator.

Haliburton may not have an All-Pro ceiling, but he’ll be able to effectively play off of Trae Young as well as take on the role of a secondary creator, allowing Young to have more scoring opportunities away from the ball. Atlanta sacrifices some upside with this pick but adds a high IQ player who can contribute from day one.