The Summer League Atlanta Hawks have been without Zaccharie Risacher for their third and fourth games as he manages a quad injury. With one game to go, there is a strong possibility that Risacher has played his last game of the summer slate.
If so, he showed enough to convince Trae Young that the ceiling is high on the rookie.
“A looooot of potential !” Young replied to “Hawks Scoop” host Zach Langley’s general request for a review on X on July 19. “Has a chance to be special ! Bright future !”
The rookie quickly got word of the exchange, and thanked Young for the vote of confidence.
Trae Young 🤝🏽 Zaccharie Risacher pic.twitter.com/7cRQEtZrmB
— Josh Buckhalter (@JoshGBuck) July 20, 2024
Risacher finishes averaging 14.5 points with 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He shot 39.3% from the floor overall and went 4-for-16 from beyond the arc. But he also showed his two-way versatility and willingness to be aggressive.
Young expressed similar sentiments to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth during Risacher’s game.
“I’ve texted him. We’ve messaged back and forth. He’s talented, he’s smart, and he makes the right reads,” Young told Hubbarth on July 14. “I know our coaches, , is definitely trying to make him be aggressive in the first game. He hasn’t gotten up as many shots up today as I would like, but the first game he was getting up some shots. But he’s a smart player. He’s gonna be really good in this league.”
The Hawks have not provided any further details about the injury, nor have they ruled Risacher out for the Summer League finale against the New York Knicks.
With an 0-4 record heading into the game and Risacher having already missed two straight games, playing it safe with the No. 1 pick could be the prudent decision for the Hawks. They are already dealing with an assortment of injuries.
So far, injuries have only impacted the back end of the roster.
Hawks have to heal up before training camp
Kobe Bufkin suffered a shoulder injury on the eve of Summer League play while his draft classmate Seth Lundy was ruled out in May after ankle surgery.
Risacher’s classmate and Hawks second-round pick Nikola Đurišić suffered a toe fracture that knocked him out of Summer League play after two games as well. The Hawks announced the injury on July 15 but did not provide a timeline.
The Hawks will open training camp on September 27 or October 1.
That gives them at least 10 weeks to heal up. Still, it would be devastating to have something serious occur at this point of the offseason.
Risacher has flashed enough potential to draw high praise from Young. He also figures to be one of the few locks to make the roster entering the 2024-25 season and is one of five players on the summer Hawks who has a guaranteed contract.
Keeping him healthy could be paramount to accomplishing whatever goal the Hawks have.