The Win Column: Is there a draft in here?

Hey y’all.

Hope all my fellow dads out there had a fabulous Father’s Day. Or at least squeezed in a solid couch nap with baseball/golf/soccer/primo history programming murmuring in the background.

You earned it … and we’ve got a big week ahead.

HAWKS ON THE CLOCK

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

The Hawks front office spent its weekend extending a Knicks killer (CJ McCollum) and swapping a couple second-round picks for some cost-effective depth (Thunder fan favorite Aaron Wiggins).

Now the NBA draft awaits.

Atlanta owns the No. 8 and No. 23 overall picks in the draft, which tips off at 8 p.m. Tuesday. And the options for general manager Onsi Saleh are many.

🗣️ “I think the Hawks already have some depth on the wing and should really focus on bolstering that depth at center and then of course guard,” beat writer Lauren Williams told me. “I think they just need more players who not only fit their goals of an unselfish team, but also know how to pick the moments when they simply need a bucket.”

Bucket-getters. Yes please.

As Lauren wrote here, history has a fraught relationship with the eighth overall pick. The Pelicans took future Hawk Dyson Daniels in that spot in 2022, and the Magic landed star forward Franz Wagner there the year before.

But, uh, beyond that? Just 13 All-Stars in the shot-clock era have gone eighth overall in the NBA draft.

The No. 23 pick could be even more of a crapshoot, though we will mention it’s the spot where newly minted Finals hero OG Anunoby was selected.

Works for me!

The talking heads have deemed this one of the deepest draft classes in decades, and it’s possible Saleh 1) opts to package picks to trade up or 2) moves back for an extra selection or two, like last year.

The Hawks have also been rumored as the third team in would-be trades involving Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Celtics Jaylen Brown … but probably best not to expect anything crazy.

🗣️ “The biggest thing Saleh has mentioned is postseason is that Hawks aren’t ‘one player away.’ He did a lot of work during the year to get flexibility and has worked to recoup draft assets. It’s hard to see him pushing the chips to the center of the table right now,” Lauren said.

Bookmark this page (and follow @LaurenWilliamsL) for live updates before and during the draft.

AN IMPRESSIVE PEACH STATE STREAK

Credit: AP Photo/Chris Seward

Credit: AP Photo/Chris Seward

Caleb Wilson starred at Atlanta’s Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, then at North Carolina — and now he’s slated to be a top-5 pick in tomorrow night’s NBA draft.

“I mean, it’s crazy that I’ll be in the NBA as a fraternity,” the 19-year-old previously told the AJC.

🤯 Even crazier: If Wilson’s draft projection becomes a reality, 2026 would mark the seventh straight year a former Georgia high schooler went in the top 10. No other state has matched that feat.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON THIS WEEK?

⚾ Braves: West Coast start times in full effect for the Bravos this week. They’re in San Diego tonight through Wednesday (10:10, 9:40 and 8:40 p.m., respectively). Grant Holmes, JR Ritchie and Martín Pérez are slated to start.

🏀 Dream: After impressive back-to-back wins over Indiana, Allisha, Rhyne, Angel & Co. host the expansion Toronto Tempo tonight (7:30 on Peachtree Sports Network). Then they hit the Bay Area too, visiting the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday and Friday.

🏆 College World Series: Someone finally beat Oklahoma baseball. North Carolina forced a deciding Game 3 against the Sooners tonight at 7. Watch on ESPN.

🤔 NBA draft: First round tips off at 8 p.m. Tuesday.

⚽ World Cup: Teenage phenom Lamine Yamal and Spain stomped Saudi Arabia on Sunday at the Once and Future Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Morocco vs. Haiti (6 p.m. Wednesday) and DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan (7:30 p.m. Saturday) wrap up Atlanta’s group-stage hosting duties later this week.

THEN THERE’S THE U.S. TEAM …

The U.S. Men’s National Team finishes its own group play against Turkey at 10 p.m. Thursday — and, alas, will not play a knockout round match in Atlanta.

Bummer, but we’re not complaining.

The U.S. would’ve had to finish second in its group to visit the ATL. They instead clinched the top spot before anyone else in the tournament … partially by scoring early and often.

Credit: Rahul Deshpande

Credit: Rahul Deshpande

Now, these numbers include an own-goal or two by the opposition. But the USMNT’s five first-half goals lead the way at this point.

And, not for nothing: The American squad’s record for overall goals in a World Cup sits at seven … one more than their current total for 2026.

🎉 FIFA Fan Fest at Centennial Olympic Park (which has already seen a quarter-million people come through) will be open for Thursday’s USMNT match. Hours: 6 p.m. to midnight.

MORE (NON-SOCCER) NATIONAL NOTES

⛳ Wyndham Clark held on to win the U.S. Open, even with the crowd actively cheering for him to lose. (We’re all for a good razzing, but c’mon folks.)

😯 Serena Williams will play singles at Wimbledon, which starts next week. She’s 44 and kinda sorta retired almost four years ago.

🏁 Corey Heim, a 23-year-old grad of Kennesaw Mountain High, won his first NASCAR race on Sunday in San Diego. “Just crazy,” he said. “I hope I don’t wake up from this dream.”

THE VIBES ARE IN … THE OPPOSITE OF SHAMBLES?

Credit: AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser

Credit: AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser

Bryce Elder and the Braves took a series-ending shellacking on Sunday. But before that?

Two grind-it-out wins over two Brewers aces — and one very encouraging comparison from Ozzie Albies.

🗣️ “This team is really special,” the second baseman told the AJC’s Gabe Burns. “I’ve been on this team for a long time with a really special group each year. But this one is definitely, I’ll say, one of the top two that I have on the list.”

The other one is 2021’s title team.

🗣️ “Look, it’s always different,” manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s a different group of guys, different personnel. It’s tough comparing those types of things. But as far as all things being equal, the culture in there, it’s really good. I think we’re at the point where these guys don’t want to let each other down, so they play the game hard.”

Can’t win ‘em all. Tough stretches (and injuries) are inevitable. They’re definitely gonna need a helping hand or three at the trade deadline.

But mental makeup and clubhouse culture go a long way.

A RECAP OF YOUR DUMBEST INJURIES

For heartfelt Father’s Day reminiscences, I thoroughly recommend Jack Leo’s piece on second-generation high school football coaches. Daniel Flick’s deep dive on Xavier Watts’ dad, too.

🤕 Here at the Win Column, we’re focusing more on dads being dudes — and hurting themselves in usual ways.

Only a few of you were brave enough to respond to last Wednesday’s question about your dumbest injuries, but the folks who did brought the heat.

Dave from Atlanta tore a meniscus bowling. My own father emailed (why so formal, pops?) with a story about playing tennis and “trying to hit a ball with top spin” … but “cracking his front tooth in half” with the racket instead.

Then come Lee and Bill.

Fantastic work, fellas.

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of the Win Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.