‘The draft is in the past’: Sharife Cooper locked in with the Hawks

Former Auburn guard Sharife Cooper said over the weekend that his focus is strictly on the Atlanta Hawks now, and not those teams that passed on him Thursday in the NBA draft.

Cooper was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after averaging 20.2 points, 8.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and one steal in 12 games. He was one of seven players to average at least 20 points and eight assists over the last 25 years.

The 20-year-old entered the draft most commonly projected to be a first-round pick. However, he slipped all the way down to the Hawks at No. 48 in the second round, creating one of the biggest surprises of the evening.

Cooper felt as though dropping to the Hawks happened by design.

“I feel like God doesn’t make any mistakes,” Cooper said. “The draft is in the past. I just couldn’t be more thankful that the Hawks took a chance on me and that’s kinda my focus for now. I’m with the Hawks and everything else is in the past.”

Cooper projects to give the Hawks another play-making option on the court. He has the ability to create for himself with his quickness, and can also find his teammates on the floor. Atlanta showed in the playoffs it could use another playmaker, and Cooper could be that option.

While Cooper certainly would have liked to have heard his name called in the first round, landing with the Hawks could eventually be a blessing in disguise for him. The Hawks have proven to have a strong development system and he could be the next beneficiary.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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