Atlanta Hawks 2005 Draft Preview

The Hawks finished a league-worst 13-69 in the 2004-05 campaign and are a long way from contending for a playoff spot. They will look to build around forwards Al Harrington and Josh Smith and guard Josh Childress.

The 25-year-old Harrington, who finished his first season with the Hawks, led the club in scoring (17.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). He did miss 16 games because of injuries, but proved that he can be a solid piece to the puzzle.

Childress and Smith had decent showings in their rookie campaigns. Childress, who made 47 percent of his shots from the field, averaged 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 80 contests, while Smith registered 9.7 points and 6.2 boards in 74 games. The two youngsters will be asked to increase their production and play more minutes during their second seasons in the league.

Atlanta needs a lot of help. A point guard that can make things happen could be the ticket here. Wake Forest’s Chris Paul would be the perfect fit for the Hawks.

Key Player(s): Josh Childress (Guard), Tony Delk (Guard), Predrag Drobnjak (Center/Forward), Al Harrington (Forward), Tyronn Lue (Guard), Josh Smith (Forward).

Team Needs: Everything.

Draft picks: 1st round (2nd overall), 2nd round (31st overall), 2nd round (59th overall).