The Hawks' decision to draft Zaccharie Risacher as the #1 pick this year, in my opinion, signals the Hawks are content with running it back with Trae and DJ, and I'd point to Risacher's fit, both offensively and defensively, as to why this is the case:

1. The Secondary Ball Handler:

After the gentleman's sweep against the Miami Heat three seasons ago, all of the talk surrounding the team became the need of having a secondary ball handler, and in that off-season entered Dejounte Murray.

Yesterday, on this sub I saw something that made me realize the Trae and DJ pairing, for as mediocre as it's been, actually resolved that problem. Someone posting the negative net rating stats the team has when Trae and DJ share the floor, but that data also had the most insane stat I'd seen in a long time. Without Trae and Murray on the floor, this team had 101 offensive rating. Go back to the "dead ball" era of the late 90s early 2000s, and a 101 offensive rating would still be terrible. In short, this team hasn't proven it can score the ball consistently without Trae or Dejounte on the court, and removing one of them from the equation could place us right back where we 3 seasons ago against Miami.

1. Drafting Sarr Would've Signaled a Change. Risacher Compliments the Current Roster:

Trae and Dejounte are both high-usage guards, and Jalen Johnson is poised to see increased usage as a scoring and playmaking threat. Adding a player like Sarr, who would need to be ball dominant to reach his ceiling, would have ensured DJ would be on the move because there just wouldn't be enough touches to keep everyone happy. Also, Sarr’s shot selection will likely lead to low shooting efficiency this season, with what I'd predict to be field goal percentages in the mid to high 40s and three-point percentages in the high 20s to low 30s. This would not have been an improvement for the offense next season, anyway we want to look at it. Risacher, on the other hand, is a perfect fit. His game thrives off the ball with constant movement, cutting to the basket, and finding spot-up opportunities from three. He's an excellent catch-and-shoot player and rarely needs to dribble in the half court. Watching his games, I was legitimately shocked by how little his team put the ball in his hands to create one-on-one. Not to say he isn't capable of creating his own shot, it could just be a function of his team's system, but the fact that he's comfortable playing without the ball allows Trae and Dejounte to play their style. Also, I really believe in Risarcher's shot. With the type of looks Trae is able to generate for shooters I'd be surprised if his 3pt shooting numbers aren't impressive out of the gate.

1. Risacher is a Defensive Upgrade:

In their only relatively healthy season together (22-23), Trae and Dejounte led the Hawks to third in the NBA in PPG and seventh in offensive rating. SCORING IS NOT THE ISSUE WITH TRAE AND DEJOUNTE — defense is. Risacher brings another plus defender that this team desperately needs. While he may not yet be an elite, All-NBA level defender, he looked like an athletic and capable defender in Europe. He's effective at neutralizing smaller twos and wings due to his size and athleticism. He's not 7'1 like Sarr, but when you see him guarding guys on the perimeter, his size advantage is noticeable, and being a teenager, he's only going to get bigger. He’s adept at closing out on shooters (sometimes too aggressively, leading to blow bys), he typically doesn’t get caught ball-watching, and he maintains good defensive positioning. Think back to the Boston series two seasons ago and all of the easy buckets they got backdooring Dre, I didn't see those lapses from Risacher. And when he's beaten off the dribble he recovers well and can affect drivers that get a step on him at the basket due to his size. Not saying he'll ever be a rim protector, but in help situations he looked solid, affecting shots and getting blocks at times. While, I believe Sarr would've been more impactful defensively, Risacher should be a plus.

1. The Archetype:

I've seen the Risacher "Harrison Barnes pro comp," thing, but I believe his ceiling is higher than that. We constantly make the case for trading for 3&D, Herb Jone type of wings. Well, we just drafted one. I think it's an overstatement to say he'll be that level of defender, but he's a teenager and has the physical tools to develop and become a lockdown defender. While he's not going to match their defensive impact immediately, his shooting and overall game could make him one of the better players in one of the most coveted archetypes in the NBA.

In summation, I've been in the camp of wanting to break up the Trae and DJ pairing for a while now, but after thinking about it, 20 PPG scorers with playmaking abilities don't grow on trees, and we have two of them. The likelihood of trading DJ and getting comparable talent back in return is slim to none. If Risacher's shot is as good as I think it is, he's only going to make us better offensively because all of those open three's Saddiq was bricking last season, could now be makes. It all boils down to things working out on the defensive side of the ball.