Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher, a new defensive core in Atlanta
The Hawks have been overwhelming on offense in their first handful of games with great performances from their franchise player, Trae Young.
However, it has been the flashes on defense shown by their duo of international newcomers, Australian guard Dyson Daniels and French wing Zaccharie Risacher that have been the biggest surprise.
Dyson Daniels, 6’8 Guard
2024-25 stats (4 GP) : 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Starting with the Australian guard, Dyson Daniels is what I like to call a “three-level defender.” He’s one of the few players able to block shots, operate as a point-of-attack defender and make off-ball plays on a game-by-game basis.
In his massive defensive skill set, one of the most astonishing skills is his ability to protect the rim as a guard. He’s able to move his feet quickly and under control when containing drives.
Besides his ability to block shots, what truly drew my attention when watching him is his overall around-the-rim presence for a guard.
He jumps straight up, arms straight in the air, absolutely clinical in the exercise. I would like him to be a bit more cautious against bigger bodies because he tends to make some tiny mistakes that lead to fouls.
He might already be one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league. With a big frame and good length, he’s an oversized guard with great footwork, hip mobility and coordination.
He also likes to let his opponent pass by him to pop the ball with his opposite hand. This move is used worldwide, of course, but considering his height at 6-foot-8, it’s a bit surprising. Moreover, he might be the best in the exercise, the first time in my lifetime that I’ve seen a player doing that at such a successful rate and with that volume.
Finally, he’s one extremely talented defensive playmaker, his huge length and great court vision allow him to make a ridiculous amount of deflections each game, leading the league in the category at 7.3 deflections per game, well over the second-placed Nikola Jokic.
Making steals is now a habit for the young guard, using his extremely active hands and great flair, he always seems to be a step ahead of his opposition in any one-on-one action.
Zaccharie Risacher, 6’9 Wing
2024-25 stats (6 GP) : 8.2 points, 2.8 rebonds, 1 assists
Height, length and footwork are three words that could describe Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher both on offense and defense.
To tackle the defensive side of his game I will make an analysis based on two dimensions that I truly like in his game. His approach when closing out and how good of a disruptor he is on that end.
Closing out is one of the most important aspects of defense, as mastering this skill can boost your defensive production. Risacher, so early into his career, seems to have mastered it.
Quick steps allow him to accelerate and decelerate quickly, easily squaring up his opposition and with his long arms, he can recover at a high rate on deep shots.
Speaking of it, that ability to recover with his long arms also allows him to guard multiple positions and different types of profiles.
Against smaller guards, he has some sort of a margin of error thanks to his ability to contest the shot well from a big distance, in his first handful of games we’ve seen him on players like LaMelo Ball or Cam Thomas.
Finally, he was mostly used as a point-of-attack defender for the second unit in those games – except the one against OKC – and he was extremely productive.
He doesn’t possess the bulkiest frame at 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds, but held his own against strong players like Jalen Williams, bumping him well and forcing him into taking tough fades at times.
Risacher has also been a big-time off-ball defender for Atlanta. He displays expert-level screen navigation and recovers lost ground better than a lot of wings, even leading the Hawks in blocks through five games. He also showed flashes of being a good deflection threat with his enormous length.