Zacharie Risacher remains the No. 1 pick for Atlanta in the latest B/R mock draft

The 2024 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away and the Atlanta Hawks are going to have a huge decision to make when they officially go on the clock. Atlanta is still going through the pre-draft process, but so far, according to most reports, three popular prospects have been the Hawks’ top target with the No. 1 pick. French prospects Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr along with UConn center Donovan Clingan have been the guys most linked to the Hawks thus far and in the last two mock drafts from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Risacher went No. 1 . That didn’t change today when Wasserman released his new mock version today:

Team: JL Bourg-en-Bresse

Position: SG/SF

Height: 6’8″, 204 lbs

Age/year: 19

French nationality

Professional comparison: Harrison Barnes

“Every possession Zacharie Risacher had in the playoffs was under the microscope of the Atlanta Hawks and other lottery teams. He ended up averaging 15.1 points on 14 threes in those seven games, delivering just enough flashes of step-backs or dribbles to generate more hope for his development on the ball.

He’s always scored primarily with off-ball shooting and athleticism in transition, a combination that’s translatable and plug-and-play, suited to a lineup like Atlanta’s that already has two creators in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Alex Sarr may provide more theoretical upside with his defensive versatility and face-up flashes at 7’1″. Donovan Clingan could prove to be more of an impact presence with his rim protection.

While scouts continue to debate Risacher’s ceiling height, there is also a perceived level of certainty related to his positional size, shooting tools and defensive quickness.

In a draft where there is no obvious, sure All-Star at the top, Risacher’s floor and 3-D archetype could give him an advantage with a team that has seen AJ Griffin struggle with injuries and Saddiq Bey leave. late due to a torn ACL.”

While Risacher may be the most popular pick, Sarr and Clingan are also still being looked at.

In the latest NBA Draft Big board from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, they still had these three players as top prospects and they included some new notes on the Hawks talking about:

1. Zacharie Risacher:

“Risacher’s 75-game season ended on May 30, giving him a few days off before the start of the NBA Global Camp on June 4. There, he was measured and conducted interviews, a physical, tests sports and exercises Risacher will leave for Atlanta next week, his home base for the rest of the selection process, a city he knows well from having trained there in previous summers, before leaving for the states. United, he has some details to tie up in France, according to sources, including passing his driving test, a farewell press conference at his club, JL Bourg, and a suit fitting in Paris. with Armani for the draft night on June 26.

We will see how much of a network Risacher chooses to participate in NBA team practices with fairly limited time at his disposal and after a long season. Most teams don’t expect him to be available in the draft after No. 4, when the San Antonio Spurs are selected, so the Atlanta Hawks (No. 1 pick) and Washington (No. 2 pick) seem to be increasingly strong options. “

2.Alex Sarr:

“Sarr will be one of the first names on the board on June 26, but the situation at the top of the draft has not yet been fully defined. He is firmly in the mix as an option for Atlanta at No. 1, but The Hawks are carefully gathering information as they move toward their decision If Atlanta moves on from Sarr, Washington is shaping up strongly as a landing spot, with rival teams believing the Wizards at No. 2 are his home court.

As a mobile 7-footer with elite skill potential and physical tools, Sarr has obvious long-term appeal as he gains experience and matures, and he should be capable to have an immediate defensive impact. He’s made big strides this season in Perth, and if he can protect the rim and space the floor at a high level at the 4th and 5th spots, he’ll be the type of player teams will struggle to acquire in any no matter what draft, no. no matter how deep the class is. These high-end potential outcomes make it worth the top pick in the draft. »

3. Donovan Clingan:

“Clingan is a top-three prospect who could see a slight decline on draft night as teams ranked Nos. 3-6 already have starting centers in place. He’s in conversation at No. 1 after having trained in Atlanta (which is exploring trade-off scenarios He is also spending time in Washington, which has the No. 2 pick, and is not expected to overtake the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7, to whom he came from). visiting for a private workout as a player, well, he’s being discussed among teams as a possible target for Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City or Utah, all of whom could consider trading for a player in his mold.

Clingan’s appeal is evident at 7-foot-3 with a 7-7 wingspan and a 9-7 standing reach, and he is considered by many to be the most impactful defensive prospect in the draft with the timing he shows as a rim protector and the improvement he has made guarding the pick-and-roll. His youth, productivity, touch and instincts on both ends of the floor give him a high floor and make him a sleeper candidate to hear his name called at No. 1. »

Those were the Hawks’ only notes that appeared in their new big board.

I still think Sarr is the best player in this draft class, but he’s far from a sure bet and Risacher makes sense. Things are going to be very fluid right now for Atlanta and there will be a lot of smoke surrounding this pick as well as the three prospects at the top.

Yesterday, NBA Draft analyst Sam Vecenie called for the Hawks to take Sarr with the No. 1 pick and mentioned that the process is still ongoing for Atlanta:

“Since winning the lottery with just a 3 percent chance, the Hawks, according to league sources, are still in the process of gathering information with the top prospects in this class. Atlanta participated in the Eastern Conference Play-In tournament and moved up nine spots on lottery night, so there wasn’t as much information about the prospects at the top as the teams who knew they would have high picks, like the Wizards below, but the Hawks are quickly catching up, with several front-office members taking a trip to France to see Zacharie Risacher in a playoff game, in addition to spending hours on the phone collecting. information on all their potential selections.

Because the Hawks are still earlier in their process than most of the other teams at the top of the lottery, this selection is still considered fluid. The two most popular names talked about around the league remain Sarr and Risacher, but the Hawks continue to do their due diligence beyond those two. Donovan Clingan is also seen as a potential option in the top three picks before his lineup darkens for teams currently ranked 4th-6th.

For now, I’m going with Sarr, who emerged early in this draft cycle as a potential No. 1 pick. His performance against the G League Ignite in early September led scouts to believe he was the best prospect on the field.

Sarr is a defensive difference maker who covers a ton of ground with his quick arms and feet, much like greats like Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Brooklyn’s Nic Claxton. Sarr flies around the ball and can thrive in a variety of ball screen coverages from changeup to drop. If he waits near the rim and his opponents challenge him, there’s a good chance he’ll contest the shot, or even block it outright.

The other end is the question. Sarr has shown his potential as a rim runner in ball screens, but for the most part his offensive game involves pick-and-pops and he doesn’t make good contact with the screen. He is not a high-impact defensive rebounder, which led to questions about whether he could play center regularly in the NBA. If Sarr does indeed need a more physical center alongside him, his limited offensive game could be exposed. He’s best served playing next to a floor-spacing five, unless he can become a dangerous perimeter shooter himself.

Things could change over the next few weeks, but what remains certain is that Atlanta’s front office needs to get this pick right and help reshape their roster.