Grading Zaccharie Risacher's Hawks debut: No. 1 pick comes off bench in 1st pro game

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher, made his professional debut in a game that counted as the Atlanta Hawks faced the Brooklyn Nets in the regular season opener. The difference between his showing in the regular season opener versus what we saw from him in the preseason was the results.

Risacher finished the game with 7 points on 2-for-8 shooting and went 1-for-4 from three in 19 minutes.

He came off the bench in his first game, subbing for Dyson Daniels with 3:43 to go in the first quarter.

Risacher’s first shot was a glimpse into what his offensive role will consist of on most possessions, as he stood beyond the arc, caught the pass from Trae Young, and fired off a three-ball that found the bottom of the net.

It got tougher from there. Risacher was 1-for-7 from the floor at one point, going 1-for-4 from downtown and 2-for-4 at the free throw line.

His second basket came on a dime from Young near the top of the arc, slamming it home.

That put the Hawks up 90-85 with 9:47 to go. Notably, both of Risacher’s baskets came off assists from Young on plays started by Jalen Johnson grabbing a rebound. For the Hawks, that might have been the most encouraging sign of all.

Zaccharie Risacher's performance should embolden Hawks' faith

“What I was told was that they're envisioning either surrounding Trae or, maybe in the future if Trae is not on the team – and I'm not saying that they're looking to move him. I'm saying that like they're setting up their roster in a way where they really are valuing a lot of positional size. And they like the idea of playing Risacher with Jaylen Johnson moving forward,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie told Keith Smith on the “Game Theory” podcast in September.

“They see those two as being really good complements to one another where Jalen is this dynamic athlete out in transition who's a playmaker. And then Risacher is your really solid wing who can play really solid help defense, and can knock down shots from the perimeter, and, hopefully, has a little bit more in his bag offensively as he continues to grow, and mature, and his frame fills out.

Risacher could have a tougher time cracking the starting lineup than initially expected. Both Daniels and De'Andre Hunter put forth strong showings versus the Nets. But the long-term vision for Risacher still seems like a more than reasonable expectation.

Risacher needs some refinement and strength; he finished with 1 rebound on the night. 

That is to be expected from a rookie who will not turn 20 years old until April 8, five days before the Hawks’ final regular season contest.

If Risacher continues to look for his shot, knocking them down when he takes them, and defends at a high level, he will be just fine. His next test will come on Friday, October 25, when the Hawks host the Charlotte Hornets

Grade – C+