Atlanta Hawks select Zaccharie Risacher as first pick in 2024 NBA Draft
Atlanta Hawks trade up to select Nikola Djurisic in second round of 2024 NBA Draft
Nikola Djurisic impresses with perimeter shooting skills at NBA Draft Combine
Zaccharie Risacher praised for shooting ability and versatility by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic
The 2024 NBA Draft took place on June 27-28, with a total of 58 picks being made by various teams. Among the notable selections were Zaccharie Risacher, the first pick by the Atlanta Hawks, and Nikola Djurisic, who was chosen in the second round by the same team after a trade with Miami. Let's take a closer look at these picks and other significant events from this year's draft.
Atlanta Hawks Select Zaccharie Risacher (1st Pick)
Zaccharie Risacher, a 6-foot-9 wing/forward, was the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. The young prospect improved his jumper over the summer and showed potential in spot-up situations during his time at JL Bourg. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had Risacher ranked as his fifth-best prospect, praising his shooting ability and versatility.
Atlanta Hawks Trade Up for Nikola Djurisic (2nd Round)
In the second round, the Atlanta Hawks traded up one spot to select Nikola Djurisic from KK Mega Bemax. The Serbian forward had a solid season at his club and impressed at the NBA Draft Combine with his perimeter shooting skills. Vecenie ranked him as his 13th-best prospect, noting that he could contribute right away for the Hawks.
Trades That Should Have Happened
Despite some intriguing prospects remaining on the board, there were few notable trades during the draft. Some potential deals that could have made a difference include:
Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies missed an opportunity to trade up for UConn center Donovan Clingan, who was eventually selected by Charlotte at No. 21.
Milwaukee Bucks: Instead of selecting AJ Johnson with the 23rd pick, the Bucks could have traded it for a veteran player to address their immediate needs.
San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs passed on Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, who was selected by Portland at No. 28. Sheppard is a better shooter than Rob Dillingham, whom the Spurs took with the third overall pick.
Houston Rockets: The Rockets held onto their third overall pick instead of trading it for a proven All-Star to make their team more competitive.
Memphis Grizzlies failed to trade up for UConn center Donovan Clingan in the 2024 NBA draft.
Milwaukee Bucks could have traded their No. 23 overall pick for a veteran player instead of selecting AJ Johnson.
San Antonio Spurs missed an opportunity to trade up for Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, who is a better shooter than Rob Dillingham.
Houston Rockets could have traded their No. 3 overall pick and some young players for a proven All-Star to make the team a playoff contender.
Accuracy
]The Atlanta Hawks selected Nikola Djurisic in the 2nd round of the 2024 NBA Draft[
Atlanta Hawks should have rebuilt after finishing with only 36 wins in the previous season and having limited first-round picks controlled by the San Antonio Spurs
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting and editorializing. The author expresses his opinion on trades that 'should have happened' during the NBA draft, implying that the actual trades were mistakes. He also implies that certain players are better prospects than others based on his personal assessment, without providing any evidence or peer-reviewed studies to back up these claims.
Seeing Milwaukee stay put and take a 167-pound guard who won’t be able to contribute for years was puzzling.
Milwaukee should have flipped this pick for a rotation-caliber veteran instead.
We would have liked to see the Hornets-Grizzlies deal go through, as a package of No. 9, No. 39 and Luke Kennard for No. 6 would have landed Clingan in Memphis while also getting the Grizz at least temporarily out of the luxury tax.
The Memphis Grizzlies failed to move up to chase a particular center prospect.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several instances of appeals to authority and dichotomous depictions. The author quotes multiple NBA insiders reporting on potential trades that didn't happen, implying that these sources are reliable indicators of what should have transpired. This is an appeal to authority fallacy as the validity of the trades not happening is not proven, and their reliability as sources is assumed. Additionally, the author makes a dichotomous depiction by stating that certain trades 'should have gone down' and others 'didn't.' This oversimplifies complex situations and ignores potential factors that may have influenced the outcomes.
NBA insiders reported that the Memphis Grizzlies were trading with the Charlotte Hornets to go from No. 9 to No. 6...Instead, the deal fell through, and Clingan went No. 7 overall to the Blazers.
Milwaukee should have flipped this pick for a rotation-caliber veteran instead.
The Hawks needed to take a page out of the Brooklyn Nets playbook and try to reacquire its own picks, giving it the opportunity to rebuild.
Bias
(80%)
The author expresses a clear bias towards certain trades that did not happen during the NBA draft and implies that those trades would have been beneficial for the teams involved. The author also expresses disappointment in some of the picks made by certain teams and suggests that other players were better options.
Atlanta needed to take a page out of the Brooklyn Nets playbook and try to reacquire its own picks, giving it the opportunity to rebuild.
Despite this noise, Houston ended up staying at No. 3 and selecting Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard. The Rockets can certainly use Sheppard’s shooting after finishing 23rd in three-point accuracy last year (35.2 percent), yet there’s no way this roster can grow and pay all of its young talent.
Milwaukee should have flipped its pick for a rotation-caliber veteran instead.
Seeing Houston trade the No. 3 overall pick along with some of its young core for a proven All-Star would have made far more sense for its present and future.
The Memphis Grizzlies failed to move up to chase a particular center prospect.
The Spurs desperately need shooters around Wembanyama, whose generational defensive ability can make up for a lack of stoppers on the perimeter. Castle was a terrible shooter as a freshman.
