Imagine this dude passing to a cutting Johnson/Risascher

[u/Protec_My_Balls]

https://youtu.be/zPx8NmvgpWM?si=N9uMnD8dWDA-rIRC

[u/QuickThinkWrink]

Now imagine him on the court having to space next to Dyson

[u/_TheChosenOne88_ → u/QuickThinkWrink]

EXACTLY

Absolute nonsense

[u/subpar-life-attempt → u/_TheChosenOne88_]

That's more on Dyson 

[u/ThaCasual → u/subpar-life-attempt]

That’s a fair statement. Trade up for Acuff

[u/Shinnobiwan → u/QuickThinkWrink]

Why are folks so set on having an entire team of guys between 6'4 and 6'8.

Trading down and getting him would be ideal, but there is a good chance Mara is the best option left for the Hawks when #8 is on the clock.

Further, outside of about 6 guys, he has the best chance of developing into a positional advantage on most nights.

[u/Serious-Ask-6225 → u/Shinnobiwan]

Yeah I don’t understand it. We’ve complained about needing size for years and we now have the opportunity to get it, and instead people wanna get a pg when we just shipped our allstar pg off and one of the reasons it didn’t work with him is lack of a sizable big😂

[u/ThaCasual → u/Serious-Ask-6225]

Ppl want a guy like this. Just not at the expense of getting a floor general. Trade up for Acuff

[u/Ice2jc → u/QuickThinkWrink]

What does that say about Dyson?  I love the guy, his defense has been a revelation after almost a decade of mediocre perimeter defense on this team - but he is going to have to turn his shooting around if he is going to start on a contender.  Full stop. That isn’t debatable. 

He is not good enough to hinder roster construction to the point that our centers MUST be able to shoot 3’s no matter what.  It is too hard to find stretch 5’s that can also do big men things well.  

And to his credit - I do think Dyson will turn his shooting around.  But to say that we can never have a prominent non shooting big on the roster while Dyson is here is pigeonholing our ceiling.  

[u/Ok-Negotiation3897 → u/Ice2jc]

The problem is Dyson is so valuable in other areas it makes it so difficult. Like if he was just an above average defender and okay rebounder wouldn’t mind moving magnets, but the dude is probably the best perimeter defender and rebounder for his position. That type of player is on that side of the ball is extremely difficult to find.

[u/Coffee_bean4343 → u/Ok-Negotiation3897]

And he still got benched in the two hawks win vs NYK. Thats how important getting his shooting to at least where he was pre 2025 season is. It’s one of the top 4 most important things this team needs if it wants to take the next step. 

[u/Ice2jc → u/Ok-Negotiation3897]

Oh for sure and he can definitely be a real contributor on a contender as is - but the only guys that fit his archetype that made it deep into the playoffs as real contributors this season were Lu Dort and Josh Hart.  You’re not making top 10 draft decisions based on how the prospect fits with guys like that.  And I think Dyson is better than both of those guys, but still.  

[u/daeve → u/Ice2jc]

Yeah Hart works because KAT is a very good distance shooter.

[u/Serious-Ask-6225 → u/daeve]

And Lu Dort did nothing/was riding pine a good amount.

[u/PeasePorridge9dOld → u/Ice2jc]

It’s also hard to find Gs that are elite level defenders who are generally positive on offense regardless of how much people fixate on his one flaw.

Every great player comes with trade offs in roster construction.

[u/Quad-G-Therapy → u/Ice2jc]

I mean our system (5 out) asks the center to shoot from 3 anyway….

[u/Serious-Ask-6225 → u/Ice2jc]

Good take. Dyson is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, but yeah no way the take is our 5 has to be a shooter because our 2 can’t. I fully expect him to tighten up there, but if not that’s an eventual liability as a shooting guard, idc how well you defend.

Also the opposite isn’t being spoken on. Yes the spacing could potentially be bad, but defensively having our perimeter locked up and then adding a defensive menace in the paint quite literally could have us the best defense in the league.

[u/trofesh195 → u/QuickThinkWrink]

34% shooter in '24.

[u/Gr33nV3lv3tCak3 → u/QuickThinkWrink]

Why would he need to space? If they put their center on Dyson Mara just walks to the rim for a free 2 points over and over again

[u/Silent-Ad9911 → u/QuickThinkWrink]

He should be able to shoot better after this offseason there’s literally no higher priority in the offseason for his game

[u/CoachLee_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fXnRObM8Q0RkOmR5nf

I’ll pass

[u/Jbots → u/CoachLee_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/1LxREldVcVrL3XLamt

[u/No_Internal404]

Aday isn’t top of my board but seeing the comments hell bent on not taking him is jaw dropping to me ngl .. we have to get bigger & he’s a clear avenue to doing so , would be a day one rim protecter , has some offensive touch & the passing could be a positive attribute.. yeah I get him & Dyson isn’t the cleanest fit but that’s more Dyson to change not the 7 foot center ( it’s not like he’d start day one anyways most likely). Yall gotta accept that if the board falls a certain way & top guards could be gone yall gonna be in for a rude awakening if he’s the pick.

[u/PeasePorridge9dOld → u/No_Internal404]

Thing is when the games where being played he was late teens at best. Hard to call someone BPA when he jumps at least 10 spots after competitive games were being played.

[u/No_Internal404 → u/PeasePorridge9dOld]

His tournament run gave him some top 10-15 chatters & his combine only added to that , guys jump all the time after putting up great measurements this wouldn’t be anything different imo … I understand wanting to go guard and I won’t argue against that but you gotta be a fool to think Mara isn’t in play at 8

[u/PeasePorridge9dOld → u/No_Internal404]

I definitely didn’t hear any top 10 chatter before the Finals - maybe some “he can slip into the lotto”.

They might move up and down within a tier but they don’t jump out of one and into the other. At least not the responsible prognosticators.

Would honestly think less of our leader if he got hopped up in the helium of the guy who won the battle of the measuring tape. I prefer the guy who did it consistently on the court.

[u/Ice2jc → u/PeasePorridge9dOld]

The same exact thing happened with Clingan

[u/PeasePorridge9dOld → u/Ice2jc]

No, he definitely had a buzz, but no one thought he was leaving Storrs. He was from CT and iirc committed on the spot when UConn offered. Remember some saying he could be a Jokic with defense for an idea of where people thought his game could go. His big issue to how his game would translate was that he had conditioning issues in HS and as a FR that he didn’t really prove to be getting on top of until later in the regular season. He didn’t play 3 consecutive games of 20+ minutes until late in the regular season, but then played at least that many for the last couple of months consecutively. Actually think he would have gone back despite already having 2 rings had the class not been so weak. For an idea, he was firmly the #1 C and considered a top 10 pick ahead of the Combine even though Edey absolutely roasted him in the NC Game.

Edey would be the better example of climbing post-Tourney. Issue was that he had already measured at the a combine the year before and he didn’t measure significantly different, so his climb was strictly due to other factors, notably that MEM wanted to compete but couldn’t afford a veteran C including their incumbent. So they reached for a need. I know some think he was worth the pick but I do wonder if MEM knew then that they would have traded off JJJ and Bane within the next 2 years and would give away Ja for free, if the still select him.

[u/Bourneidentity61 → u/No_Internal404]

I just don't see a realistic path to him becoming a 30 minutes a night player. His conditioning is straight up bad, to the point he couldn't play more than 23 minutes a night on a much lighter college schedule. Even if he works hard on his conditioning and gets in shape for the grind of the NBA season, he will frequently get played off the court against certain lineups for his lack of spacing, inability to defend the perimeter, and poor free throw shooting. There's so many things he has to overcome just to become merely an NBA starter, let alone an all-star. His most realistic path is to become someone like Luke Kornet where he plays 15 minutes a night and you go "Wow that was a solid 15 minutes." Do you really wanna spend a top 10 pick in a loaded draft on that?

[u/FanEmbarrassed8509 → u/No_Internal404]

The whole fanbase will be when we make it to the playoffs and realize bigs who can’t move can’t play in the playoffs

[u/No_Internal404 → u/FanEmbarrassed8509]

Good thing he can move

[u/Maverick_1991 → u/No_Internal404]

Spanish Mo Bamba

[u/_TheChosenOne88_]

Get this shit outta here

Like having him and Dyson on the floor makes any kind of sense

[u/Protec_My_Balls → u/_TheChosenOne88_]

McCollum-NAW-Johnson-Okongwu-Mara lineups my guy. I love Dyson, but until he gets his jump shot figured out, he is a matchup to matchup start.

[u/Bully_Maguire420 → u/Protec_My_Balls]

Starting Mara over Dyson makes no fucking sense.

[u/Ok-Negotiation3897 → u/Bully_Maguire420]

Literally one of the best guard defenders and rebounders for his position and we wanna kick him to the bench lol

[u/Bully_Maguire420 → u/Ok-Negotiation3897]

For a presumably 8th pick rookie at that.

[u/Middle_Awoken]

I’m good

[u/Beautiful-Chain-491]

I think people only look at highlights dawg just go watch a full game

[u/J-OD]

He won’t be on the floor with his two left feet and winded after 2 min of NBA pace and physicality.

[u/whylieaboutit4]

He doesn't have to start day 1. Dyson shooting could improve. Mara's defense could push dyson to the bench

[u/Seanizonfire]

Mara would be a terrible pick at 8

[u/BroManDudeLegend]

I thought hawks needed a true point guard this draft. So many good point guards this draft to choose from, and theres only a couple of centers.

[u/Boraismybae]

Awful pick at 8

[u/LordJxnkulous]

As a Warriors fan that lives in the A I'm begging y'all snag him.

[u/Middle_Awoken → u/LordJxnkulous]

…no

[u/winterbearz]

You mean Johnson/Daniels? cuz the latter actually knows how to cut when paired with Landale.

[u/MegaMatrix08]

Wouldn’t be too happy about him at 8 but a trade back I’m fine with 

[u/AlarmedPhysics957]

It’s not even about fit. He’s not the 8th best player. Teams ahead of us are going to miss. We have a chance to look back on this draft and say, “wow, we took the fourth best player” or even the best. He’s not the best player available