The Atlanta Hawks opened their 2025-26 regular season in about as disappointing a way as possible. In front of their passionate home fans, the Hawks suffered a blowout loss to the Toronto Raptors, 118-138.
While not many, there were still a few positive takeaways from last night's game. Jalen Johnson got most of the attention, putting up an All-Star stat line of 22 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists, but it was Zaccharie Risacher who had the most impact on both ends for Atlanta.
His performance went under the radar and it is not hard to see why. Despite being last year's first overall pick and getting a full offseason of NBA-level training after a stellar rookie season, he still appeared to be on a minutes restriction.
In a game that looked unfair from start to finish, Head Coach Quin Snyder gave Risacher just 21 minutes. It was obvious in the first half that this was going to be a night where the standout forward would see limited action.
Midway through the second quarter, a specific number in the box score had caught the attention of Hawks fans: Risacher only saw 5 minutes of action through the first quarter-and-a-half.
Very confused as to why Risacher only has 5 minutes to this point
— Zach Langley (@langleyatl) October 23, 2025
He ended up returning to the game and finishing out the second quarter, where the Hawks saw their best effort of the night. It was just a six-point game at the half, and Risacher had 9 points on 4/5 from the floor.
Fans were optimistic heading into the second half, as it looked like a switch had flipped. Their offense had started connecting and their defensive chemistry continued to look better. This hope did not last long, however, as the Hawks were not ready for Toronto's third quarter transition attack.
The success Toronto had in transition, specifically in the second half, made Risacher's limited minutes all the more confusing. He was Atlanta's best player in transition last night, getting the majority of his buckets downhill and outrunning the Raptors at a high rate.
His off-ball abilities separate him from the rest of Atlanta's young wing core. He excels in transition, both offensively and defensively, and does not get lost on backdoor cuts. The Hawks seriously could have benefited from more Risacher minutes last night.
Snyder will have his work cut out for him ahead of Friday night's game against the Orlando Magic. The Hawks will be hitting the road for the first time this season and taking on a team that also plays at a quick pace.
If both Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker fail to be effective shot-makers off the bench again, there is no reason for Zaccharie Risacher to see less than 28-30 minutes in an important matchup like this.