As the Atlanta Hawks prepare to tip off their season Wednesday night when they host the Brooklyn Nets, anticipation of seeing their number one overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, making his regular season debut alongside Trae Young and Jalen Johnson, continues to build in a week in which the Hawks and Johnson agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension.
“I like what the Hawks are trying to do,” former NBA player and coach and NBA TV host, Sam Mitchell told Steak Shapiro and Sandra Golden on Wednesday when he joined the midday host on The Steakhouse.
“If I were the Hawks, if it were me, I would play those young guys. I would start them,” Mitchell said, as he explained why a “big” line up with Risacher and Johnson along with the size of their power forward and center could prove to be a winning formula for the Hawks, especially in regards to long term team goals.
“Let them learn how to play because if you look at Boston right now, you’re not going to beat the Celtics with just an average, a round of the mill team and if you’re the Hawks, you’re trying to build and develop a team that can beat Boston,” Mitchell said as he explained that while the Hawks may not be able to overcome the Celtics, who are still a young team themselves, in present time, the more experience they have going up against teams built like Boston now would benefit them in the future as they grow.
“You have to try to build something now. I like what the Hawks are doing, those young guys can shoot, they’re athletic, but they just have to continue to build. Let them play, let them take their lumps, don’t put so much pressure on them and hopefully in a couple of years with Trae (Young) this team can go,” Mitchell said.
