David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Hawks brass take in potential top pick’s playoff game

Originally posted on SportsTalkATL | By Alex Lord | Last updated 5/17/24

Owners of the No. 1 overall pick, the Hawks are completing their due diligence on all of the top prospects.

There’s a consensus among mock drafts that Atlanta will take Alex Sarr, but the club shouldn’t leave a single stone unturned. It seems they aren’t either.

Head coach Quinn Snyder, General Manager Landry Fields, and Assistant General Manager Kyle Korver were all in attendance during potential top prospect Zaccharie Risacher’s playoff game with the JL Bourg-en-Bresse of the French League.

Dimanche soir, Atlanta a hérité du premier choix de draft #NBA à la surprise générale.
Quatre jours plus tard, le coach des Hawks, Quin Snyder, et le GM adjoint Kyle Korver ont fait le déplacement jusqu’à Bourg pour observer Zaccharie Risacher en playoffs de #BetclicÉLITE ! pic.twitter.com/N2l9ZrQ2yQ

— Alexandre Lacoste (@Alex__Lacoste) May 16, 2024

Risacher racked up 14 points and six rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from deep en route to a 92-82 victory in the LNB quarter-finals series. He averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in league play this past season with JL Bourg on 35.2% shooting from beyond the arc across 32 appearances.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor described him as ‘shades of Michael Porter Jr.’ with strengths as a knockdown shooter, a solid ball handler for his size, a quick decision maker as a passer, and a lengthy defender while struggling to score at the rim.

One could argue that Risacher fills a bigger need than Alex Sarr, but that’s not how the Hawks should be operating. Fit is important; there’s no arguing that point. However, when you own the No. 1 overall pick, you take the best player available and don’t think twice.

This article first appeared on SportsTalkATL and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: