Reserve player's past success offers hope for Hawks in 2024-25, beyond

The Atlanta Hawks have caught a lot of criticism over their current roster construction. 

They are seemingly stuck between a rebuild and trying to remain competitive in an Eastern Conference that is increasingly so, especially at the top.

The 2024-25 campaign is set to be key for the Hawks, who made a quick decision to pivot from their star backcourt pairing of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young after two seasons. And yet it could be a depth option that hints at the key to unlocking this new iteration.

There are 11 players from the 2023-24 squad still on the roster ahead of training camp. Per Cleaning The Glass, there were 12 lineup combinations of those players.

The Hawks boasted a plus-5.7 net efficiency differential with those 12 lineup combos.

Of the seven lineup combinations to produce positive differentials, six included veteran swingman Garrison Mathews. He is also part of three of the other five lineups, including two with negative differentials.

One came with then-rookie point guard Kobe Bufkin at point guard, not Young. The other came in a total of five possessions.

Small sample sizes are the biggest hurdle to projecting this current group.

The most possessions a single group of the current Hawks logged in 2023-24 was 181 (Young, Mathews, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu; plus-0.1). Second place was a group featuring Bogdanovic, Johnson, Okongwu, Young, and De’Andre Hunter.

That group had a neutral differential in 46 possessions. The group could also be the one that closes games in 2024-25.

Mathews drew five starts in 66 appearances.

A lineup featuring Mathews, Young, Bogdanovic, Clint Capela, and Johnson – the closest to the Hawks’ actual starting lineup Mathews got in 2023-24 – boasted a plus-8.9 differential, albeit in just eight possessions.

None of it is definitive by any stretch. But it is informative and encouraging as the Hawks tread further down a still-uncertain path.

That path got brighter with No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.

Zaccharie Risacher key to unlocking Hawks' next iteration

Young downplayed the potential of this class, saying on the “Podcast P” show that he did not see any franchise-player-caliber prospects among the incoming crop of rookies, which would also include Risacher.

The Hawks star did go on to say that he believes his new teammate would be a good pro and have a solid career. It could start by filling the role Mathews did as a floor spacer and adding defense.

Risacher being a productive role player as a rookie could be a boon for the Hawks.

His length and defense further the Hawks’ efforts to surround Young with better complementary players. Once his shooting comes around – he shot 25% from deep during Summer League – Risacher could help elevate the group. Mathews shot 44% on 2.9 attempts in 2023-24.

Even if it does not pan out with wins in 2024-25, the Hawks need Risacher to show his potential as a complementary piece for Young or a central figure in a more extensive roster overhaul.

Young’s future remains a source of intrigue. 

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon both expressed their belief on “The Hoop Collective” podcast on August 30 that the three-time All-Star would have been traded this offseason had teams shown greater interest.

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley lists Young’s future as the Hawks’ top storyline entering camp.

However, the Hawks’ offseason roster moves are certainly geared toward insulating Young, an offense unto himself who will always be physically limited defensively.

More than just the new additions, the pieces the Hawks kept have already worked with Young and well. That familiarity should help ease the transition for the new guys. But it also gives Hawks head coach Quin Snyder some fallback options.