Hawks' alarming forward problem has clear solution the rest of the way

A tied series means that for the most part, things have been even. Despite the similarities the Hawks and Knicks share, there are some key differences each squad's been able to exploit. For one, Atlanta's had a bit of a shaky situation with their forward depth. There are plenty of questions regarding the impact of the limited Zaccharie Risacher usage.

It's come with its own set of pros and cons, but the result of Game Two speaks for itself. Zaccharie Risacher didn't see the floor, Corey Kispert did, and the Hawks walked away with a much-needed victory. Can it all be attested to the end-of-rotation adjustment? No. But, it provides Atlanta with a clear plan to follow for the rest of the series.

It would be wise to keep Risacher's minutes as minimal as possible

That's no indictment on his trajectory as a player, but it's the smartest decision they could make if they want to make some serious noise this postseason. The moment might just be too large for where he's at right now, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Even some veterans are unable to play up to the high-stakes environment in Madison Square Garden.

He played in Game One. Not much, but he saw the floor. His two first quarter minutes were enough for Coach Snyder to pull the plug. In those select minutes, Risacher went 0/3 from the field. He picked up four rebounds, which was impressive, but his impact simply wasn't there. Atlanta doesn't have the luxury of prioritizing development right now.

It looked like Snyder was going with a nine-man rotation until the beginning of the second quarter. As he tends to do, he inserted Corey Kispert into the game as the tenth man, and the rotation ended there. He only played nine minutes in the game, but those were enough to confirm Risacher wouldn't be seeing the floor again, at least not for the rest of the night.

Kispert was solid, as well. In the limited minutes he received, he was a +10, giving his team a clear advantage as they looked to take down the Knicks. He wasn't alone in his efforts, either. Jonathan Kuminga had a stellar game off the bench, pushing Risacher even further down the priority list.

Kuminga and Kispert are ready to hold it down in the second unit

The Hawks likely wouldn't have won this one without Kuminga's efforts. He's fully bought in to his role as a difference-maker and it's been about as perfect as both sides could've imagined. His performance in Game Two was vital, contributing 19 points in 35 minutes off the bench.

It's not going to be an easy road for the Atlanta Hawks as they aim to make an unexpected postseason run. If they want to make it easier, they'll need Jonathan Kuminga and Corey Kispert to continue shouldering the load for the inexperienced Zaccharie Risacher.

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