Perhaps the biggest surprise of Villanova’s big night at the NBA Draft came when Omari Spellman heard his name called at pick 30, the final pick of the first round. In addition to giving Villanova a third player selected in round one, Spellman’s draft slot gives him the extra security that comes with being a first round pick.

The guaranteed contract Spellman receives relieves some of the pressure to make an impact immediately. Rather, he will have the luxury of playing a role, trying to contribute with what he does best, and having time to develop in areas that may need work.

The fact that the Hawks were willing to invest a first round pick in Spellman bodes well for the start of his career. So too does the fact that he joins an incredibly young roster for an organization that is basically starting from scratch. Spellman should have every opportunity to carve out a role for himself and play himself into the Hawks’ long-term plans.

Looking at the competition for playing time at the PF/C position, things are pretty wide-open in Atlanta. Dewayne Dedmon logged the majority of minutes at center, averaging 10 points and 7.9 rebounds. Mike Muscala (7.6 points, 4.3 rebounds) and Miles Plumlee (4.3, 4.1) were the other centers on the roster a season ago.

After the midseason departure of Ersan Ilyasova, a pair of rookies manned the power forward position for the Hawks. John Collins had a very respectable rookie season, averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds, earning All-Rookie Second Team honors in the process. Tyler Cavanaugh chipped in 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds.

While Dedmon, Muscala, and Plumlee offer a bit of a veteran presence, they don’t represent the kind of entrenched star that is locked into the rotation with a large chunk of minutes. Similarly, although Collins performed well and certainly earned a longer look from the Hawks, neither he nor Cavanaugh are in position to be guaranteed a ton of minutes.

While Dedmon and Collins certainly project as the opening night starters, the opportunity to earn minutes will clearly be there.

Spellman entered the draft with some obviously valuable skills as well as with some question marks. For players entering the league with profiles such as Spellman’s, it’s usually best that they end up at either end of the “winning timeline” spectrum. At one end of that spectrum are teams with established talent that are ready to win now, where rookies aren’t expected to contribute immediately. At the other end are the rebuilding teams, teams with wide-open rosters that are searching for pieces to build with and are prepared to go through growing pains with young players as they watch them develop. Spellman has landed with the latter, and the ability to learn and play in a relatively pressure-free environment should be beneficial to Omari as he starts his career.

Spellman should get the chance to showcase what made him so attractive to NBA teams while also being given the time to prove he can defend at the NBA level.