Dyson Daniels (left) and Zaccharie Risacher have the Hawks close to securing a spot in the So-Fi Play-In Tournament.
The Atlanta Hawks are pushing to secure a berth in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and a big reason why they remain alive in the race with less than a month before the end of the regular season has been the play of their supporting cast. It’s been the role players like Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu and Zaccharie Risacher lifting the Hawks as of late, allowing Trae Young to relieve some of the pressure of carrying the team each game.
Daniels has been the best of the bunch. Daniels joined the Hawks in the offseason as part of the trade that sent Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans, and he went from being a capable backcourt presence to one of the best defenders in the league. Not only that, but Daniels is also proving he can make things happen on offense. The Australian-born guard is having a career-best season in 2024-25, leading the league in steals per game at 3.1 but also averaging 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.
Okongwu’s rise into a prominent role in the rotation hasn’t received a lot of attention but it should. Even though he opened the season as the backup center behind Clint Capela, Okongwu’s play in the early stages of the 2024-25 campaign made it clear that it was a matter of when, not if, he’d move into a permanent starting role. The fifth-year center made his first start of the season on Jan. 20 and never looked back, taking ownership of the role and showing he can be an impact two-way presence. In his 31 starts, Okongwu is averaging a solid line of 14.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and a combined 2.2 steals-plus-blocks per contest. His eight double-doubles in 16 games since the All-Star brank rank him in a tie for 12th with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Isaiah Hartenstein.
Last but not least, let’s talk about Risacher. The Frenchman has lived up to the expectations of being the first overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, and he’s found a way to perform consistently while adjusting on the fly to life in the NBA. Even though there was an early learning curve, the 19-year-old rookie is averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and a combined 1.2 steals-plus-blocks per game while starting in all but two of his 65 appearances. He’s posted six games of at least 20 points and has reached the 30-point threshold twice, a rare feat for a player of his age and experience level. There’s no question that Risacher’s future is bright, and he has earned the right to be considered a cornerstone for the future of the franchise.
While there’s no doubt that the Hawks are Young’s team, he’s not doing it alone, and the strong play of the supporting cast has the Hawks close to securing a spot in the So-Fi Play-In Tournament in the postseason.
