NBA Draft 2021: 6 selections from the second round with most potential

No. 48 Atlanta Hawks: Sharife Cooper, Guard, Auburn

There was buzz Cooper, a projected first round pick, might have a draft-night slide, but falling all the way to No. 48 was very unexpected. I was lower on Cooper than most, having him at No. 30 on my board, but this value was just too good.

Cooper is one of the best passers in this draft class. He’s got a terrific first step, and a change of pace dribble to blow by defenders. He makes up for his lack of size by manipulating defenders to find passing angles. He wasn’t eligible because he only played 12 games, but Cooper led the country with 8.1 assists per game and became the only other freshman in college basketball to average over 20 points and eight assists. The other one being Trae Young.

Cooper getting to team up with Young should be very beneficial for his development. They have similar passing styles and games, Young is just a far better shooter. The team is tailored around Young, which should be good for Cooper: athletes and shooters on the wing, and lob threats in the frontcourt.

Cooper must shoot better at the next level so he can draw more defensive attention. He’ll have to improve as a defender as well, although that will be an uphill battle given his size. Cooper must answer some of the character questions that dropped his stock, and show he can be comfortable playing off the bench.

I project Cooper as a backup point guard, but he can be a very good one who can run a second unit. The Hawks could use his creation ability right away and continue to help him grow.