3 reasons Zaccharie Risacher should be a starter to open the regular season

The future is now for the Atlanta Hawks and his name is Zaccharie Risacher. In their first taste of preseason action, the new-look Hawks looked phenomenal with Risacher on the floor. While no other Hawk posted a plus-minus better than plus-2, Risacher recorded a plus-15 mark in almost 23 minutes off the bench.

In his second preseason outing, Risacher led the Hawks in scoring with 14 points. He also added eight rebounds, again making a notable all-around impact in the second unit.

Respectfully, that should be the last time the Hawks leave their No. 1 pick out of the starting five. In his first game, the French teenager put up 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from three. More importantly, he showcased his upside on defense and helped the Hawks thrive on that end during his minutes.

Risacher’s jumper has looked great, and he is moving well without the ball. The Hawks have already seemed more cohesive as a unit when he has seen the floor, and his chemistry with the team will continue to grow as the season begins.

All in all, Risacher looks every bit the part of a No. 1 pick.

Zaccharie Risacher proving he should start right away

1) Youth movement in Atlanta

Over the last few seasons, the Hawks have found themselves stuck in the worst spot possible for an NBA team: the middle.

Caught between the muddled mediocrity of play-in contention and playoff disappointment, the Hawks have needed to retool their timeline for a while now. Trae Young only just turned 26, and Atlanta owns the sixth-youngest roster in the league with an average age of 24.5 years.

It will certainly help the Hawks with their long-term development and chemistry to insert more youth next to Young in the starting unit. Still 19 years old, Risacher can provide Atlanta with a youthful energy that the team desperately needs. All of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, and Onyeka Okongwu are 23 years old or younger, and they all make strong cases to begin the season as Hawks starters.

Risacher is already having a ton of fun out there, dishing out between-the-legs dimes and nailing off-the-dribble threes like it’s going out of style. With the Zacch Attack leading the way, Hawks fans should have a blast watching their young team compete for the playoffs.

The Hawks may have traded Dejounte Murray in the offseason, but they kept most of their rotational pieces for a reason. They’re not rebuilding, they’re retooling. 

Risacher and other young Hawks players can already make a huge impact this season. While the young guns still have room to grow, they all possess two-way skills that could help mend Atlanta’s longstanding defensive struggles.

While De’Andre Hunter has produced a steady five seasons for the Hawks, he has dealt with countless injuries that have prevented him from becoming more than a solid 3-and-D glue guy. At 26, he still has some upside as a scorer. However, Risacher seems like the best man for the job going forward.

The No. 1 pick may not have an official NBA game under his belt, but he looks as ready as anyone to impact winning from day one.