Pre-Draft Lottery Projection: 6 (-2)
For the same reason the Hawks originally had their eyes set on Hunter, they’ll be elated to grab an athletic wing with high defensive potential even after slipping three spots. Although his struggles with the other pair of Duke stars were rather well documented, Cam Reddish holds too much potential to pass up this deep in the lottery.
If the open gym footage of Reddish it to be taken seriously, perhaps Reddish’s shooting struggles were only temporary. After all, adapting to playing behind two better players is not something often asked of the third-highest rated prospect in their recruiting class.
Of all the rebuilding teams, the Hawks offer the most stable environment to allow Reddish’s development to progress at a comfortable pace. As unlucky as Atlanta’s draft lottery night may have been, they manage to scrape up enough luck to fill a positional need and still grab a high upside player.
Pre-Draft Lottery Projection: 15 (+6)
If the Wizards are truly committed to retaining Bradley Beal and remaining competitive while riding out John Wall’s albatross contract, it’s time to take a swing for the fences. Sekou Doumbouya presents Washington with an (admittedly unlikely) opportunity to emulate the Milwaukee Bucks’ success by striking international gold.
As a relative unknown, it’s hard accurately gauging just how a player like Doumbouya could pan out in the league. However, the film suggests Sekou’s natural athleticism and ability as a shooter could translate over very well, eventually becoming a force to be reckoned with.
The deal that sent Otto Porter to the Bulls helps pave the way for Doumbouya to immediately play meaningful minutes and hopefully expedite his development. This late in the lottery, it’s as good of a hope Wizards fans are going to get.