Atlanta, GA
What Does Zaccharie Risacher’s Benching Mean for Jonathan Kuminga In Atlanta?
Yesterday before their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks made a starting lineup change.
Former No. 1 pick and regular starter Zaccharie Risacher was benched in favor of veteran guard CJ McCollum. It was the first start for McCollum in a Hawks uniform, and he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. It was not surprising, given that McCollum has been in the Hawks’ closing lineup, but it is something to note that Risacher is no longer a starter.
At the trade deadline, the Hawks made a big move to acquire Jonathan Kuminga from the Golden State Warriors, but he has yet to play and will at least miss the next game for the Hawks. However, if he were to come back this week, or whenever he comes back, will Kuminga be inserted into the starting lineup? That was a question that Hawks fans were already wondering before Risacher was benched.
What Will Atlanta do?
Ever since they made the trade, there have been plenty of analysts and fans alike wondering how Kuminga would fit with this Hawks team. Some viewed it as Atlanta trading a player who was not playing for someone who could help them, even if the contributions were minimal. Those that were optimistic about Kuminga viewed it as a gamble that could pay huge dividends and that Kuminga just was not a fit with the Warriors.
I think there is a real chance that Kuminga jumps right into the starting lineup. Sure, I have real questions about how he and Jalen Johnson fit together, not to mention with other players as well, but there is a chance that Kuminga can give the Hawks a boost.
The biggest reason I think he jumps in the starting lineup is that the Hawks are aware that they are building towards the future. Sure, every team wants to win, and the Hawks’ schedule is so light the rest of the season that there is a chance they sneak in, which would bea great experience for this team. Atlanta is not going to be worried about results the rest of the season, but finding out which players they want on this roster
Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh talked a couple of weeks ago about why the Hawks wanted to trade for Kuminga at the deadline:
“The rim pressure that he puts on, he’s a phenomenal athlete, he’s a good rebounder, I think in transition he could be absolutely phenomenal, so and he adds size that you know, the wing position if we ever need to, you know add another defender to guard one of these bigger wings in the league so I’m really excited about Jonathan.”
There is still not a firm date on when Kuminga is coming back and going to make his Hawks debut, but with Risacher heading to the bench, where I think he could be very useful, it opens the door for Kuminga to be inserted into the starting lineup and we will see what he brings to the table.
More Atlanta Hawks News:
The search for missing 16-year-old Benjamin Braithwaite is over. Atlanta police announced just before midnight Thursday that he had been located, more than a week after he vanished from his Regency Trace home.
The department shared the update on social media but did not release additional details about where he was found or the circumstances surrounding his recovery.
Braithwaite had been missing since the night of April 27, when he was last seen around 9 p.m. at his home in Atlanta. His family said they had no contact with him during the entire time he was gone.
The disappearance of the KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School sophomore and basketball team member had galvanized the Atlanta community. His family, teammates, Atlanta police officers and neighbors gathered at the school last week to raise awareness about his disappearance. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where his mother works, joined the search effort — asking the public to watch for him at MARTA stops and fast food restaurants.
A $10,000 reward had been offered for credible information leading to his safe return.
“Even small details matter. Your awareness could make the difference,” the airport wrote in an Instagram post earlier this week.
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for rookie minicamp this weekend after a flurry of player moves over the last several weeks. General manager Ian Cunningham is not finished making changes to his roster, and the front office has reunited with another former player.
According to a press release from the team, the Falcons have signed cornerback Darren Hall and released safety Tysheem Johnson in a corresponding move.
Hall was originally selected by the franchise in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Over his four seasons with the Falcons (2021-22) and Arizona Cardinals (2024-25), he has appeared in 48 games (12 starts), registering 85 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In the time between his stints in Atlanta and Arizona, Hall was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad (2023).
As a college player for the Aztecs, he tied the FBS lead for pass breakups with 16 in 2019. He appeared in 34 games (22 starts) over his three seasons (2018-20) with San Diego State, recording 134 tackles (101 solo), 31 passes defensed, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection following the 2020 season.
As a pro, Hall’s career has not gone exactly as he would have hoped. 10 of Hall’s starts came with the Falcons, and he largely struggled in 2022. He surrendered 362 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions against 37 targets. The Falcons waived him in August 2023 in favor of rookie Clark Phillips III, Jeff Okudah, Tre Flowers, and Mike Hughes.
Hall is still a versatile player with solid tackling ability, giving him a shot at being a depth cornerback on this roster or earning a spot on the practice squad. He will face stiff competition to earn that spot, with Phillips, Cobee Bryant, Darnay Holmes, Mike Ford Jr., C.J. Henderson, and Natrone Brooks all standing in his way.
For now, he is the second player from that 2021 draft class (Terry Fontenot’s first as a general manager) to receive some form of a second contract (Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged earlier this offseason) – it just did not happen the way anyone expected. Hall now becomes the third former Falcon to join the roster via free agency this offseason after stints with other franchises (Austin Hooper and Olamide Zaccheaus).
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EMS crews often face waits of an hour — or more — to transfer patients into hospital care.
A medical crew wheels a patient across the parking area into Grady Memorial Hospital after parking across the street because the ambulance bay was full on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
Some Georgia ambulances are reaching hospitals with a patient on board and then shifting into park.
And waiting.
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A ambulance leaves the parking bay outside the Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center at Grady Memorial Hospital on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Asia Simone Burns is a rapid response reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
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