The Atlanta Hawks’ success in this 2024-2025 campaign has been a surprise to everyone but the team itself.
The offseason started with a much-needed boom for the Hawks. Early in the offseason, the Hawks surprisingly won the NBA Draft Lottery, giving them the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft despite only having a three percent chance to win. After much discussion, the Hawks chose French power forward, 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher over the likes of centers Alex Sarr and Donovan Clingan with the number one overall pick. The selection aimed to pair star point guard Trae Young with a complementary three-and-D wing.