Nassir Little is projected to be an elite defender at the next level. His 7’2″ wingspan, top-level athleticism, and high school performance put him on the radar. Little was considered to be one of the best high school players in the country before committing to North Carolina. Unfortunately, Little has struggled to acclimate himself to the college game. He is still figuring out how he fits in North Carolina’s system and is only averaging 9.6 points per game.
Little has had a couple of strong performances in the midst of his tumultuous season scoring 23 points against Virginia Tech and 21 points against Elon. NBA teams will still be intrigued by Little’s intangibles and measurables. Little’s draft stock will be aided by the fact that this draft class has a talent drop off after the top four players are off the board.
The Atlanta Hawks could use a perimeter defender like Little. Trae Young has been fantastic but he is an offensive minded player, and Taurean Prince has developed into more of a scorer than a defender. If Little reaches his defensive potential, he would be a perfect fit with Atlanta’s other pieces.