National Analyst Gives the No. 1 Reason Why You Should Not Be Overlooking the Hawks This Season

The Atlanta Hawks have brought in a lot of new pieces that fit nicely around Trae Young and should give the Hawks a new look on

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most interesting teams to follow this offseason. Everyone knew they had some moves that they had to make and they were busy at the start, but have been quiet since. Atlanta won the NBA Draft Lottery and took French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick. Then, Atlanta made the long awaited move to trade Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, E.J. Liddell, Cody Zeller, and two first round picks. The Hawks did move Liddell to Phoenix for forward David Roddy.

Daniels and Risacher are two players that have Hawks fans excited for the season and hopeful that they can make meaningful strides on the defensive end. Bleacher Report analyst Dan Favale gave a reason why the Hawks should not be overlooked this season and he mentioned their lineup versatility:

"Pinpointing an exact direction for the Atlanta Hawks remains somewhat difficult.

They have Trae Young and don't control their own first-round pick again until 2029, so they have every incentive to #goforit. At the same time, the roster is set up to rely on a handful of developmental prospects, including No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels and, to some extent, Kobe Bufkin (backup point guard minutes seem wide open).

This says nothing of guys like Onyeka Okongwu and the extension-eligible Jalen Johnson. Both are more known quantities. Neither, though, is a finished product.

It all adds up to a team with immediate expectations that could incur (plenty of) growing pains. Sign me up for it all—provided head coach Quin Snyder capitalizes on the lineup versatility at his disposal.

Okongwu, Johnson and Larry Nance Jr. permit the Hawks to downsize without actually shrinking how they operate. Risacher has fantastic size, at 6'9", and should be extremely plug-and-play on the offensive end thanks to his transition guile and half-court darting. De'Andre Hunter offers another 6'8" body and improved his shot diet last season. David Roddy is 6'4" but plays like he's 6'9", for both better and worse.

Here's hoping Atlanta gets super creative around Young. Personally, I'm pining to see him alongside Daniels, Johnson, Risacher and Nance. Floor-spacing could get tight, in which case Hunter could be plugged into one of the other spots. But the defensive intensity and malleability would be entertaining as hell."

For what they had at their disposal, I think the Hawks have done pretty well this offseason. They got a high-upside young defender in Daniels and if the Olympics are any sign, he could be ready to take a huge step forward. Daniels development on the offensive end is going to be one of the stories to watch this season and if he is able to space the floor and be a secondary playmaker (assuming he starts), then the Hawks may have made one of the most underrated moves of the offseason.

Risacher is not as talked about as past No. 1 picks in the past, but he does things that will help the Hawks immediately. It will help to have Young as the point guard, that way Risacher does not have to worry about creating offense on his own, which is not a strength of his yet, as Summer League showed. What Risacher does do well though is shoot the ball and defend, which will help the Hawks immediately. Whether he starts or not, Risacher can become a factor very soon for the Hawks.

The Hawks are going to fly under the radar going into the season, but I think they could surprise. This roster makes more sense than it has since they made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals and they did a good job of shoring up their biggest weaknesses, which were defense and size. There is enough young talent here to think Atlanta could surprise plenty of people this year.