Meet Hawks second round pick Tyrese Martin

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Jake Gordon | Last updated 6/27/22

I was a big fan of Atlanta’s first round pick AJ Griffin. I didn’t think he would fall to 16, but much like Jalen Johnson in 2021, a Duke product with tons of talent fell right into the lap of Travis Schlenk. However, Atlanta’s second-rounder is worth taking a closer look at as well. Like Griffin, Tyrese Martin comes from a basketball blueblood in UConn and gained a lot of steam in the pre-draft process due to his interviews and testing.

Tyrese Martin was lone Big East player selected in this year's NBA Draft.

— David Borges (@DaveBorges) June 24, 2022

The Hawks will select UConn’s Tyrese Martin with the 51st pick, a source told @Stockrisers. Very nice pick. He gained tons of buzz over the last few weeks during pre draft workouts.

— Jake (@jakeweingarten) June 24, 2022

Also like Griffin, Martin is a long, athletic wing that can knock down shots from distance.

The NBA Draft is tonight, so let's celebrate – with that one time Tyrese Martin made this FILTHY play in the Bahamas last Novemberpic.twitter.com/dxXHU0NnxF

— TorresonUConn (@TorresOnUConn) June 23, 2022

Tyrese Martin (6'6 W/F, UConn) is in this year's draft and he brings a funky skillset for a wing. He is an excellent all-around rebounder, especially on offense (8.2% Oreb%) and he brings size on defense. The efficiency and playmaking are hit or miss, but funky wings have a shot pic.twitter.com/jkJJ2imfiY

— Bryce Hendricks (@BryceHendrick14) June 23, 2022

Martin fits the mold of what I wanted the Hawks to do in this draft if they didn’t trade their picks. He is a good rebounder and willing defender — two things Atlanta sorely needs. If he can immediately provide the Hawks with some high quality defense and rebounding, he’s a perfect second round pick for a team that needs enforcers and stoppers. Hopefully, Martin can carve out a role in Atlanta’s rotation. If a trade is made, I really like his chances.

Side note: If you notice the photo in this article, that’s Martin shushing the crowd at Madison Square Garden in the Big East Tournament. Sound familiar?

Photographer: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

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