Editor’s note: The Hawks’ 2024-25 season begins next month. Each week leading to training camp, the AJC will examine important questions that face the team headed into the season.
The Hawks head into the regular season with a couple of questions they need to answer.
They’ll have to figure out the best backcourt partner for star guard Trae Young. They also have to decide who will round out the front court alongside Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela.
The team has less than two weeks until training camp opens and a little over a month before the regular season begins. So, they still have some time to think and decide who will start as their starting small forward. Here are six candidates:
Zaccharie Risacher
With the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft in June, the Hawks selected Risacher. The 19-year-old provides the Hawks with offensive versatility because he not only can attack the rim but also can make shots from midrange, and deeper.
The 6-foot-9, 215-pound Risacher played in France’s top professional league last season, and that could make his transition to the NBA a little easier. In two summer league games in July, Risacher averaged 14.5 points, five rebounds and two assists per game.
But the Hawks have a veteran small forward in De’Andre Hunter on the roster, and that gives them flexibility to bring Risacher off the bench to give him the space and time to develop.
De’Andre Hunter
With Hunter on the roster, the Hawks don’t have to push Risacher into the starting five, unless the rookie makes that case in training camp. Hunter started 37 games last season, where he averaged 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
But, the 26-year-old did make a case for the Hawks bringing him off the bench last season. After an 18-game absence following a procedure on his knee, Hunter came off the bench for 20 games and gave the Hawks a jolt.
He shot more efficiently after getting the chance to observe the flow of the game. He knocked down 49.1% of his overall shots versus 44.2% as a starter. He also made 5.2% more of his 3′s, shooting 44% from distance.
But the team signed Hunter to a four-year, $90 million contract in October 2022, which could deter the Hawks from using him as a bench player.
Dyson Daniels
The Hawks acquired Daniels from the Pelicans this summer in exchange for Dejounte Murray. The 21-year-old likely will play most of his minutes as a guard, jockeying between the two guard positions. But over his first two years in the NBA, 16% of his playing time has come at small forward.
He shot only 31.1% on 3-point shots, with the bulk of his made shots coming from the corner. He made 38% of his 53 3-point attempts.
At 6-8, Daniels has the size and length for the Hawks to have more positional versatility. But the Hawks inserting him into the starting lineup at small forward seems more likely in the event of extensive injuries.
Vit Krejci
The Hawks could get a lot of rotational versatility out of Krejci since he could play positions one through three because of his length and size as a 6-8 wing. He started in 14 games for the Hawks last season when injuries ravaged the team.
Krejci adds some offensive power, with the Hawks scoring 8.2 more points per 100 possessions when he is on the court. He shot 53.6% from the floor and made 45.5% of his 3s as a starter.
This season, though, the Hawks may lean on Krejci as a player off the bench. Snyder typically keeps his rotations trim and rarely goes beyond eight or nine players in a rotation.
Garrison Mathews
Mathews moved into the rotation last season with the increase in injuries. Because of his high motor and hustle on the defensive end of the floor, he proved invaluable to the Hawks, and he developed as the season progressed.
He started in five games last season, where he averaged 4.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He struggled with efficiency, making just 25% of his overall shots and 17.4% of his 3-point attempts.
The Hawks likely will lean on Mathews as a starter should injuries pile up, but he likely will provide them with more production coming off the bench.
Seth Lundy
The Hawks signed Seth Lundy to a second two-way contract this summer after a strong season with their G League affiliate. With the College Park Skyhawks, Lundy averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 25 combined G League Showcase and regular-season games. In 12 regular-season games, he made 41.5% of his 8.8 per game 3-point shot attempts.
With Lundy on a two-way contract, the Hawks will be able to rule him active for only 50 games. It also seems more likely that Lundy may play the majority of his minutes with the Skyhawks because of the additional depth the Hawks have at small forward and so few minutes to go around.
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