Atlanta Hawks 2025 NBA Draft Profile- South Carolina Forward Collin Murray-Boyles

STRENGTHS:

Boyles is a lengthy Forward with a high motor, strong frame, and can be a help all around on the court. Boyles can score on the interior, rebound at a high level, and play good defense at guarding multiple positions, which the Hawks are building on right now. A good NBA comp for Boyles would be Draymond Green.

Let's take a look at what ESPN had to say about Boyles strengths:

"Murray-Boyles will be an interesting case study for teams drafting in the middle part of the first round because the extreme contrasts between his strengths and weaknesses mean he will be a better fit for certain teams. Analytics-heavy teams will be intrigued by how well he rates in their draft models, with his unique blend of passing, free throw drawing, finishing prowess, and defensive playmaking, especially since he doesn't turn 20 until mid-June."

Weaknesses:

With all a player does well, their game has always had weaknesses, and Boyles is no different. One of the notable weaknesses in Boyles game is his shooting, making him a liability when it comes to stretching the floor, which the Hawks struggled with this season. This can cause problems in late game situations in terms of him being playable down the stretch as he shot 23% from three point range his two years in college. Some other weaknesses for Boyles is taking care of the basketball against good defenders off the dribble and his lack of size compared to some of the NBA's forwards and bigs as he stands at just 6'7.

Let's take a look at what ESPN had to say about Boyles weaknesses:

"Others might be concerned about his lack of size and 3-point shooting prowess, as well as the fact his Gamecocks team struggled in SEC play, as they were clearly overmatched from a talent perspective. Murray-Boyles told ESPN last week that he has focused on improving his 3-point shooting and has made gains in that department, which could alleviate some of the scouts' concerns."

ESPN currently has Boyles in the top 10 of the draft, specifically in the number nine spot to the Toronto Raptors. This means the Atlanta Hawks would likely have to trade up in the draft if they wanted to get Boyles since he is a borderline top-10 draft pick. This could be a good idea for the Hawks to consider, as he can play a similar role to Jalen Johnson's for the team over the last few years off the bench.

OVERALL:

Boyles averaged at South Carolina last year, 16.8 points per game, eight rebounds, one block, and one steal. This can be a massive help to a young up-and-coming Atlanta Hawks team that is still figuring out how to win, but also how to play together, and will likely be having some lost veteran players with expiring contracts of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, and Larry Nance Jr. The Hawks will likely look to bring in more younger, bigger pieces to the team as they continue to retool for the future. Although there is no confirmation that the Hawks would be willing to trade up in this year's draft unless they felt there was a can't-miss talent, Boyles should be high on the organization's list, as he could help the team with his future upside on both ends of the court and can fill up the stat sheet with his 6 foot 7 build.

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