Atlanta Hawks Basketball: Three Bold Predictions for the Upcoming Season

Atlanta tips off their season tomorrow at home vs Brooklyn

Oct 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) controls the ball against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The 2024-2025 NBA season is officially here.

There are only two games tonight and the rest of the league is going to get going tomorrow night and the Atlanta Hawks are among those teams. The Hawks begin their season against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night at home.

The new-look Hawks are flying a little under the radar to start the season. Atlanta reworked their roster this offseason, trading away Dejounte Murray for a package around Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, and a pair of first round picks. Both of those players are expected to make a big contribution this season, but they are not the only two new players on the roster. Atlanta won the Draft Lottery and selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher and he has been impressive this preseason. He was the most underdisscussed No. 1 pick in recent memory, but he looks like a major piece for the Hawks this season.

So with the season getting underway, what are some bold predictions for the Hawks?

1. The Hawks will be much improved on the defensive end

You could have watched only a handful of Hawks games last year and known that the Hawks's biggest weakness was on the defensive end. Atlanta's front office made an effort to try and fix that this offseason and we are going to see whether that effort has paid dividends.

Daniels is one of the elite perimeter defenders in the deal and could end up being the best acquisition in the Dejounte Murray trade. Risacher brings size, length, and athleticism to the position, De'Andre Hunter is a solid defender, as are Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. The Hawks are a bigger, more athletic team that has versatility. That should result in them being better on defense, just how much is the question.

2. Trae Young will lead the league in assists and make an All-NBA Team

Maybe it is not a hottake to say the guy who is the betting favorite to lead the league in assists will do so, but not many have Young making an All-NBA team, something he has only done once so far in his career.

I think this is going to be a huge year for him and he will remind everyone of the caliber of player that he is. Without Murray, Young will have the ball in his hands more and his usage rate should be amongst the highest in the league. I think there is an outside chance that Young can get to averaging 30 PPG and 10 APG and if the Hawks overachieve their projections, he will squarely be in the All-NBA discussion.

3. Zaccharie Risacher will win Rookie of the Year...

For a No. 1 overall pick, Risacher does not get mentioned much in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Players like Reed Sheppard and Zach Edey take up a lot of the oxygen in that discussion, but Risacher flashed a lot of skill this preseason and could end up with a starting spot at some point this season.

In two games, Risacher averaged 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 1.7 APG on 60% shooting and 44% from three. He had a 129.4 Offensive Rating and was second on the team this preseason amongst qualified Hawks in PER (player efficiency rating) with a 23.2 PER, behind only Jalen Johnson.

Whether he is coming off the bench or in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season, this was the exact kind of preseason you wanted to see from Risacher.

Additional Links:

Jalen Johnson Shares Reaction To Contract Extension With The Hawks: "Atlanta is where I want to be"

Grading Jalen Johnson's Contract Extension With The Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young Reacts to Jalen Johnson's Contract Extension With the Hawks