CJ McCollum's start to his Hawks era was rocky at best, and arguably league-bottom at worst.
CJ was missing shot after shot and not popping any eyeballs with his defensive skills, either. Since early January, however, McCollum has quickly found his footing in Atlanta and has made an incredibly solid case to Onsi Saleh that he should be resigned this summer.
Multiple metrics prove McCollum's impact, even beyond the numerous games he's already helped to add to the win column in the A.
While CJ's tenure in Atlanta has been brief (sub-500 minutes played to date), his impact has already reverberated throughout his time on the court. With CJ on the floor, the Hawks tout a mighty +6.3 net rating; without him, they sit at -2.6 across the season. A net rating change of nearly +9.0 is nothing to scoff at – in fact, it's nearly double the second-highest Hawk, Dyson Daniels, at +5.0.
To add to his inherent impact of net rating numbers, CJ has also become fast friends with one lineup in particular. When CJ shares the court with Dyson, NAW, Jalen, and Onyeka, the Hawks boast (min 150 possessions) the 11th-best 5-man lineup in the entire league at a whopping +18.7 net rating.
The success of CJ could spell disaster for Risacher
Sunday's battle against the Brooklyn Nets, an inevitable victory in which McCollum posted a solid 16-8-4 stat line on good efficiency, saw Risacher's pendulum swing the other way. CJ finally kicked Risacher to the bench with his stellar performances stacking up this season.
It's the first time all season that Zacch hasn't started, and only the third time in his career. Risacher didn't exactly shine in the role, either, scoring a mere 7 points in 20 minutes of playing time. After a hot first quarter, he went scoreless in the second and third quarters. Despite being in a frustratingly competitive game, Risacher did not see the floor in the fourth quarter.
Seeing as CJ has fit in supremely with Atlanta's core four of NAW, Dyson, JJ, and Okongwu, Risacher may be becoming the odd man out. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think that CJ could command a 3-year, $45M extension to stay with the Hawks as his career enters its twilight years, amongst talents he's proven he belongs alongside. If the Hawks draft one of the many talented young guards in this loaded draft, McCollum would be an excellent mentor for a scoring prospect, given his leadership experience.
While CJ continues to make the case for an extension in Atlanta, Risacher is marching his way right out of a contract beyond his rookie scale deal. If things don't change soon, Zacch may find himself at odds with Coach Snyder in the same way former top 10 picks Jonathan Kuminga and Jeremy Sochan did in Golden State and San Antonio.
Let's hope that Zacch can find his footing in an ever-changing Atlanta rotation and finally shine as Atlanta seeks to make a late playoff push in a season that's seen his career stock dip.