2023 NBA Redraft: Podziemski skies into the Top 10 as Warriors land forward
No. 15: Atlanta Hawks select Bilal Coulibaly, France
One of the tricker parts of evaluating a draft class a year into their careers is knowing what to do with "project" players. Bilal Coulibaly was in credibly raw when the Washington Wizards drafted him seventh overall, going from the French second division to a Top 10 pick in a matter of months. He was never going to have a dominant rookie season.
He certainly showed flashes, shooting a solid 34.6 percent from beyond the arc and displaying his athleticism as a defender and play finisher. There is still reason to expect him to develop into the player the Wizards hoped he would become when they drafted him; there is simply also a year more of uncertainty on how likely it is that he gets there.
That risk becomes worth it here for the Atlanta Hawks, who are going through a roster retooling and don't mind waiting a couple of seasons on his development. They originally drafted Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin with this pick, and he played well in the G League but rarely saw the court for the Hawks. The upside of Coulibaliy is more valuable than Bufkin or his fellow guards here.
Original Pick: Kobe Bufkin, Michigan
No. 16: Utah Jazz select Taylor Hendricks, Central Florida
The Utah Jazz flip the script on their draft, taking a point guard with the No. 9 pick and still getting their guy in Taylor Hendricks, this time with the 16th pick. The 6'9" forward joined a crowded frontcourt rotation and unsurprisingly took time to work his way onto the court. Prior to the All-Star Break Hendricks averaged 14.7 minutes per game , while after the All-Star Break he averaged 26.3 and shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range on 4.1 attempts per game.
The hope for Hendricks is that he can be a knockdown shooter and strong defender as something of a 3-and-D power forward, someone in the mold of Jae Crowder or Dean Wade but with more athletic upside and scoring pop. That type of player is extremely valuable as a role player, and Hendricks still has time and upside to be even more. He's well worth the shot at this point in the draft.
Original Pick: Keyontae George, Baylor