Zaccharie Risacher and Kobe Bufkin Named As Two of The Top Prospects To Watch In Summer League

Risacher and the Hawks begin Summer League Play on Friday Night vs the Wizards

Feb 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin (4) is guarded by Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

While some teams around the NBA already have a few Summer League Games under their belt, the Atlanta Hawks don't get going until tomorrow night when they face the Washington Wizards. The matchup against the Wizards is one of the more intriguing this summer because the top two picks in the 2024 NBA Draft are going to face each other for the first time. Atlanta also has games against Bronny James and the Lakers, the Spurs, and Matas Buzelis and the Bulls.

Hawks fans are eagerly awaiting Summer League because it will give them a glimpse of No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye, and Nikola Durisic. Speaking of Bufkin and Risacher, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley had them as two of the most intriguing prospects to watch this summer, with Risacher coming in at No. 4 and Bufkin ranking No. 28:

"The first pick after last year's lottery, Kobe Bufkin was injured early in his rookie year and basically never factored into the Hawks' plans after. His 17 NBA appearances spanned just 196 minutes.

Playing time shouldn't be nearly as big of a hurdle this time around.

Atlanta already ushered in a changing of the guard by shipping out Dejounte Murray, and the possibility of plunging into a rebuild with a Trae Young trade still exists. Bufkin should be a rotation regular (at least) for the Hawks this season, and if he isn't, that may very well mean something went horribly wrong at summer league.

Maybe the No. 4 ranking feels too low for this year's No. 1 pick, but Atlanta's selection of Zaccharie Risacher felt as much about fit and floor as it did his potential.

He's almost a high-end three-and-D wing, though he flashes more handles and passing than the label implies. Still, he's someone who The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor put 11th on his big board and compared to Harrison Barnes and Tobias Harris.

Risacher is a puzzle piece, not a centerpiece. That's the word out on him, anyway. Maybe he can change that narrative by flashing more creation than expected at summer league."

Risacher is going to get a lot of the headlines for the Hawks this summer, but I think there is another storyline worth following just as much.

In case you have not heard, the Hawks traded guard Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. While Trae Young is one of the best point guards and playmakers in the league, this team has a question mark now when it comes to having a secondary ball handler when Young is off the floor and no clear option right now at backup point guard. If the season started today, second year guard Kobe Bufkin would likely be the backup point guard. I think he could take over this role and do it well, but Bufkin has a case to be the top player to watch this summer.

Bufkin spent the majority of his rookie season either in the G-League or injured, but he flashed some serious two-way upside when he was on the court. Unless the Hawks make any more big moves, Bufkin might be relied upon to be the backup point guard of the team with Murray gone. Summer League is going to be a chance for him to show he is capable of doing that and I will be watching Bufkin on the offensive end the most. Bufkin's defensive capabilities showed up when he got playing time, but he still needed to work on his shooting. Bufkin could be a really good two-way player if his offense comes around.

Summer League is known for producing massive overreactions to anything that high draft picks do and that is unlikely to change when Risacher takes the floor. I would caution anyone that watches to not have a big overreaction, good or bad, to what Risacher does this Summer.

It is still going very interesting to see Risacher in a Hawks uniform for the first time.

I am most interested to see what he does with the ball in his hands. One of the criticisms of Risacher throughout the draft process was that he was not very good on the ball and not much of a playmaker. He is praised for his defense and shooting, but I think he is going to have a chance to do things with the ball in his hands this summer.