The Atlanta Hawks finally found a five-man unit that produces the high-level results they expected this season, but there is just one problem: the lineup doesn’t include Zaccharie Risacher.
Per Cleaning the Glass, the lineup of CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu has a +25.1 net rating over 139 possessions. While this isn’t the biggest sample size, this is the most logical lineup Atlanta can roll out.
Alexander-Walker and Daniels have served as Atlanta’s guard duo this season, but is this truly the best use of their abilities? Alexander-Walker profiles as a shooting guard on both sides of the ball, and Daniels’ stocky frame allows him to play the three (and perhaps even the four, if Quin Snyder ever wanted to experiment with small ball lineups). By moving up a position, NAW’s playmaking deficiencies and Daniels’ shooting struggles can be masked.
This leaves McCollum and Johnson manning the offense at point guard and power forward. McCollum has been quite hit-or-miss this season. When his jumper is falling, he’s been on fire; when it isn’t, he’s been a clear liability. Still, no other Hawks player can create clean looks off the bounce like CJ, meaning he fills a vital role in the offense.
While McCollum is technically the point guard of this lineup, he fills the offensive role of a classic shooting guard. By contrast, Johnson, nominally the four-man, fills the point guard role on offense. Regardless of who brings the ball up the floor, the rock eventually finds its way to Johnson, who is tasked with starting the halfcourt offense.
This leaves Okongwu as the center. Of course, he is the only big man Atlanta has been able to rely upon this season, given Kristaps Porzingis’s injury struggles. Still, he is a solid presence as a shooter, rebounder, and interior defender who carries a surprisingly heavy playmaking load. As the prototypical modern “do-it-all” big man, Okongwu will have a spot in just about any five-man squad.
Where does Risacher go?
This five-man unit mirrors the starting lineup, only with McCollum in place of Risacher. This begs an important question: if this is Atlanta’s best lineup, what happens to Risacher?
Risacher cannot fill McCollum’s shoes in this lineup, as they are polar opposite players. If the French forward were to replace one player in this squad, it should be Alexander-Walker, whose impact as a 3&D wing closely matches Risacher’s profile.
Risacher would be left to play with the bench lineup, starring Jonathan Kuminga as his forward partner and primary offensive engine. Jock Landale or Mouhamed Gueye would fill the center position, depending on whether Snyder values spacing or defense in this particular matchup, and the Hawks could roll out any two of Keaton Wallace, Buddy Hield, or Gabe Vincent as the backcourt pair.
While it seems treasonous to suggest that the former 2024 first overall pick could be benched, Risacher has a more natural fit on the second unit. Risacher isn’t a star, and Atlanta needs a second star alongside Johnson to juice the offense. Snyder is only playing Zacch for 24 minutes a night anyway; what’s the harm in having these minutes start off the bench?
His mobility and strong help defense would instantly help remedy the negative effects of playing Kuminga and Landale together in the frontcourt, and his transition scoring could add potency to a bench unit devoid of primary creation.
Again, this may seem insulting, but it truly isn’t. Risacher would have the latitude to push himself on both ends of the floor in an increased role, while the Hawks’ starting five could actually have a chance of keeping up with their opponent in the first quarter. Make the move, Quin – start the best five-man unit this team has and give Risacher the room he needs to grow.