Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher Selected 21st and 24th In 21-and-under Mock Draft

Where do Daniels and Risacher rank amongst 21 and under NBA players

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Australia point guard Dyson Daniels (1) in action against Spain in men's Group A play during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of young talent on their roster, but only a handful of those players are at age 21 or younger. Rookie No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and second-year guard Kobe Bufkin are some notable names in Atlanta who are age 21 or younger and all three players are going to be expected to contribute this season.

In a draft of age 21 or younger players, where would these fit in? The Athletic recently did such a draft and Daniels was taken with the 21st pick and Risacher was taken with the 24th pick, which happened to be the last pick in the entire draft. He was the third player taken from this past year's draft class, behind Reed Sheppard and Zach Edey.

Here is what they had to say about both picks:

"At this juncture, the talent pool is essentially dried up, but I’m going to take a swing on a project. Daniels is making his presence felt at the Olympics for the Australian national team, and there’s no reason why he can’t be an impactful two-way player in the NBA at some point. Daniels was never going to get a real opportunity in New Orleans, but I think the trade to Atlanta will jumpstart his young career. Sign me up for the 6-8 ballhandler who wants to pick defenders up full-court. I’m a fan.

The fact that the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft barely cracked our top 25 of 21-and-under players says a lot about how down and unpredictable this particular class projects to be. With that said, it’s hard for me to pass on a big wing with a nice shooting stroke who is only 19."

Both of these players are going to be two of the Hawks most important players and I think both of them could have a huge impact. Daniels has been impressive on the Olympic stage this summer and is showing the kind of two-way ability that Atlanta needed. While Risacher only played in two games this summer for the Hawks Summer League Team, he showed he has a great feel for the game, the size, and the defense needed to be effective next to Trae Young. Risacher did not shoot the ball well this summer, but that should not be an issue for the talented French forward. If both players can make an impact right away, the Hawks could be a much better team than some think.