Zaccharie Risacher is officially heating up at the right time for the Atlanta Hawks. Over his last five contests, the No. 1 pick has averaged 17.6 points while shooting 54% from the field and 40.6% from three.
In Atlanta’s recent win over the Golden State Warriors, Risacher dropped 14 points on 5/10 shooting with 0 turnovers in 29 minutes. After the game, Hawks veteran Georges Niang spoke highly of Risacher and his underrated rookie year.
“Look how far Zaccharie Risacher has come. The fact that he is not the (surefire) Rookie of the Year given the circumstances,” Niang said in his postgame presser. “He was on a team that had a lot of wings, and what he’s been able to do is remarkable. The guy shows up every day and doesn’t complain whether he plays 20 minutes or 29 minutes. He’s always defending, he’s fearless, and he’s 19 years old. If that guy isn’t Rookie of the Year … NBA, what are we doing?”
Risacher’s season-long averages of 12.1 points and 3.7 rebounds may not stand out the way the numbers of recent No. 1 picks do, but the French teenager has navigated a much different situation than most top picks. Unlike most No. 1 picks before him, Risacher did not join a bottom-dwelling lottery team with minimal playoff aspirations.
Risacher has started 62 of 64 contests as a true 3-and-D staple for the Hawks. Surrounded by the high-octane talent of Trae Young, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Jalen Johnson (for much of the season), Risacher has not received the level of usage needed to produce the blockbuster counting stats recent No. 1 picks have produced for NBA bottom-feeders.
ROY type shit https://t.co/MVxM47DBHm
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 24, 2025
Zaccharie Risacher has experienced more winning basketball than recent rookie No. 1 picks
The last six No. 1 picks before Risacher all saw their teams finish with the No. 13 seed or worse as rookies. Meanwhile, Risacher has started 61 straight contests for a Hawks team that could host its first play-in game as the No. 7 seed.
As Niang suggested, Risacher has displayed phenomenal maturity as a key contributor for an above-average Hawks squad. Lately, Risacher’s heightened production has coincided with more team success for Atlanta. The Hawks have now won seven of their last 10 games with Risacher ranking top-three on the team in points and rebounds during that stretch.
The reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month is probably the most versatile player from his draft class, which has allowed the Hawks to utilize him in various lineups and situations. Risacher is also just the third teenager in NBA history to record at least 100 3-pointers, 50 steals, and 30 blocks in a season. Only Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards have also accomplished this feat.
With Atlanta looking like a solid bet to make the playoffs, Risacher could become the first No. 1 pick to play in the postseason as a rookie since Markelle Fultz did it in 2018 (while playing just 14 games with zero starts). Fultz only cracked 25 minutes once that season, and Risacher averages 24.6 minutes a night.
While San Antonio guard Stephon Castle is the betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year, Risacher could change that if he takes his late-season surge to another level and continues to win games with the Hawks.