National NBA analyst describes Atlanta Hawks’ offseason in one sentence

The Atlanta Hawks were considered one of the most exciting teams heading into the offseason and they lived up to that. Atlanta shocked the world by winning the NBA draft lottery in May and then selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick. The Hawks made the inevitable move of trading Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, EJ Liddell, Cody Zeller and two first-round picks. Atlanta restructured their roster around Trae Young and hopes that can get them back into playoff contention. The Hawks may not be done this offseason either as they still have some roster decisions to make.

To describe every NBA team’s offseason in one sentence, here’s how Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley described the Hawks:

“It seems fitting that the Hawks, who are sort of the epitome of NBA ho-hum, would strike draft lottery gold in a year without a jackpot prospect at the top.

Perhaps first-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher will exceed expectations, but hopes aren’t high that he’ll become a top-tier talent. B/R draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, for example, compared Risacher to Harrison Barnes, a solid but far-from-star player.

The Hawks kept two stars at the start of the offseason, but they’ll only keep one (assuming they’re done trading). They sent Dejounte Murray to New Orleans in exchange for a package built around two future first-round picks, Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr., but Trae Young remains in place despite trade rumors at times this summer.

The Hawks could be ready to make bigger subtractions if the San Antonio Spurs don’t control their next three first-round picks. That has the Hawks stuck on the loading screen. They look decent, which is pretty much the last thing teams want in a league where the biggest rewards go to those at the extreme ends of the competitiveness scale.”

I think the Hawks had a good offseason and the roster around Young makes a lot more sense than it did the last two seasons. Will that translate into more wins? It’s hard to say because the Eastern Conference is really good. Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana and Miami are the teams Atlanta will have to fight to get into the top 8 of the standings.

The Hawks’ upcoming season could hinge on the development and growth of the players around Young. Jalen Johnson could have won Most Improved Player Award last season if he stayed healthy and he appears to be a future All-Star. If Johnson can make the necessary strides on both ends of the floor, the Hawks’ ceiling rises considerably.

But it’s not just Johnson. While Risacher isn’t as high-profile as other top picks in the past, he has the ability to help the Hawks sooner rather than later. Leading up to the draft, he was praised for his shooting ability, size, and defense. Risacher has struggled with his shooting so far in Summer League, but the other aspects of his game have lived up to expectations. Atlanta doesn’t need Risacher to be an All-Star in his first year, but for them to surpass that win total, he’ll need to provide scoring and versatility on defense.

What will the Hawks do at center? Currently, the Hawks have Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, Larry Nance, Bruno Fernando and Cody Zeller. Atlanta is unlikely to have all five players on its roster and must decide what to do. Will they keep Capela and make him and Okongwu the center tandem again? Will the Hawks move Capela and ultimately make Okongwu the starter, with Nance as the likely backup? Regardless of their decision, either Capela or Okongwu will likely be the starter this season.

Bogdan Bogdanovic is going to be one of the Hawks’ best players and I don’t have much to say about him. He should have been 6th Man of the Year last season and will be one of the Hawks’ best players again this season.

Kobe Bufkin and De’Andre Hunter (if he’s still on the team) are two other players who could turn the Hawks’ season around. Bufkin could be used as a backup point guard on the team, but he’s had trouble staying healthy and that would be a big role for him. Hunter was good when he came on last season and I’m curious to see if Quin Snyder does the same this season.