Hawks' 'best new weapon' could unlock key lineup options for HC Quin Snyder

There remains an element of mystery to the Atlanta Hawks’ starting lineup for 2024-25.

Three of the five starting spots are seemingly locked in between Trae Young at point guard, Jalen Johnson at center, and Clint Capela at center (as long as he is on the roster).

There is less certainty around the other two spots where four players – Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Andre Hunter, Dyson Daniels, and rookie No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher could seemingly slot in at shooting guard or small forward if Head Coach Quin Snyder wanted.

Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale believes Risacher is the Hawks’ “best new weapon.”

“Immediate expectations could limit Atlanta's stomach for rookie learning curves. But Risacher is more plug-and-play than main attraction,” Favale wrote on August 7. “The Hawks also need Risacher's defensive motor. He has the size and mobility to take on a variety of different assignments, and head coach Quin Snyder can get fairly aggressive with his approach in lineups that feature the newbie and Daniels together.”

Favale notes that Risacher is a “unique” No. 1 pick being on a team with no incentive to tank, a three-time All-Star in Trae Young, and that could compete for a “top-eight” spot in the East.

The Hawks are coming off missing the postseason for the first time since 2019-20. 

The good news is that they went to the Eastern Conference Finals the following season. Of course, they won two more regular season games the season after that but were bounced from the first round of the playoffs.

Two years of back-to-back first-round exits led to missing the playoff entirely in 2023-24 and the changes that have taken place during the 2024 offseason.

Rischer flashed his potential during 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.

He averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He was inefficient, though, shooting 39.3% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc. However, it was also a small sample size with Risacher appearing in two games before being shut down with a quad injury.

Can Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher go from ‘plug-&-play’ to ‘main attraction’?

If there is anything concerning about Favale’s assessment, it is that Risacher is “more plug-and-play than main attraction.”

That is not what you want from a No. 1 overall pick, even one from a doubted draft class.

Favale does not say that Risacher cannot become that, but it could also explain the lack of an appetite for a complete reset which would have included trading Young. With no true franchise cornerstone in place or incoming to replace him, the Hawks have retooled around him.

Lineups featuring Young flanked by small-ball defensive foursomes of Daniels, Rischer, Hunter, and Johnson will be electric.

Lineups with Daniels, Risacher, Hunter, Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu can switch everything.

If the Hawks want to lean into offense, they can trot out Young, Bogdanovic, Risacher, Hunter, and Johnson. The rookie will not just allow Snyder to get aggressive and creative defensive, it will also allow for more flexibility offensively.