2019 NBA Mock Draft: Full lottery impact on the first round
![CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Deputy Commissioner of the NBA, Mark Tatum takes the stage at the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: Deputy Commissioner of the NBA, Mark Tatum takes the stage at the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery on May 14, 2019 at the Chicago Hilton in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/547f7190b623f70ae09cec267ab4c1a2990296689403238bc4312aa2df816cb6.jpg)
UNC. Nassir Little. 8. player. 125. . SF
Age: 19
Height, Weight: 6-foot-6, 220 pounds
Slash Line: .480/.269/.770
Season Averages: 9.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 0.4 3PM
The Atlanta Hawks had an uneven night. They slipped three spots down the final NBA draft board and landed eighth, while officially conveying another pick along the way, so there are two chances to add talents to their young team.
Trae Young and Kevin Huerter offer backcourt promise. They can shoot and dish the basketball. The rebuild is hardly over for this front office, despite this positive start, and it continues with the No. 8 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Wings are necessary for all NBA teams. Tall, long players with versatility and the ability to cover the 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9 players that dominate this game. Nassir Little fits this mold.
The potential exists for Little to grow into an effective NBA starter. He sat for all of his North Carolina career, playing behind veterans players on head coach Roy Williams’ roster. Talent was teased during this run, with the occasional breakout scoring game. The defensive touch, given the seven-foot wingspan, followed.
Little is raw, which holds him back from landing in the top five. His shooting needs work and could take years to improve. The Hawks have time to let him develop, though, as he joins Huerter and Young for a ride that potentially moves them up the Eastern Conference ladder.
Little had top-five upside. This could have put him in play for the New York Knicks months ago. Once the 2018-19 season played out, that situation changed.