When the Rising Stars rosters were announced earlier this February, there was one seemingly obvious missing name: Zaccharie Risacher.
The omission of last year's first overall pick from a sophomore class with questionable depth was nothing short of a slap in the face for the French phenom. The 2024 Rising Stars class this year features the likes of big names like Alex Sarr and Stephon Castle, as well as smaller names such as Cam Spencer and Ajay Mitchell.
It was the last of these names that allowed Risacher to join in the festivities this year, as Mitchell's health prevented him from joining.
While there is little doubt that Risacher is not playing at the same caliber as Sarr or Castle, the fact that Spencer, Mitchell, and even Reed Sheppard, Jaylon Tyson, and Kel'el Ware made the initial cut over Atlanta's selection last year is a testament to both how quickly Risacher has slipped into the shadows of a deep Hawks rotation, as well as how limited his upside has been.
When Risacher was drafted, there wasn't all that much criticism surrounding the pick, despite the obvious drop in talent from the 2023 first overall pick and fellow Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama. Sometimes, draft classes are more stacked than others. It's just the way the cookie crumbles year by year.
Before the shenanigans Alex Sarr pulled by ducking the Hawks very publicly and brashly, he was viewed as the consensus first overall pick by nearly all draft experts and league executives alike. Unfortunately, Sarr has broken out into a defensive sensation, leaving Risacher in the dust as the hindsight number one pick.
Misfortune aside, Risacher has the opportunity to redeem himself in a big way, starting this All-Star break.
Risacher's ability is visibly apparent in multiple categories. What's holding him back?
Zaccharie Risacher still has the high upside that the Hawks knew he had when they selected him first overall in 2024. While he hasn't broken out into a star, few believed he ever would. He simply needs to harness what makes him great.
Zacch isn't an elite creator, but all wings in the modern NBA that can do a bit of everything tend to stick around much longer than those who can't (see Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, or even role players such as Nic Batum or Tobias Harris). He's shown flashes of playmaking ability and on-ball creation, which is sometimes all it takes to bloom a few seasons into a young career.
Risacher's elite shooting has yet to reveal itself, but his pure shot form and mechanics lead me to believe that ability is hidden just beneath the surface of his middling 35% on nearly 5 3PA/game box score numbers.
Finally, Risacher's defensive abilities are significantly improved from last season. Not only is he able to stay in front of ball handlers much more adeptly this year, but he's also able to leverage the extra 10-15 pounds of muscle he's put on since his rookie debut in his favor on the defensive end.
So what's missing?
While raw talent tends to bubble to the surface readily in the NBA, sometimes there's a mental block for certain players that holds them back from taking the next step. In Risacher's case, not living up to the hype as a former 1st overall pick, compounded by being snubbed from the sophomore Rising Stars roster this year, may have severely impacted his confidence.
Fortunately, this miracle granted thanks to Ajay Mitchell's late drop-out due to health might be just what the doctor ordered for Zacch.
If Risacher can build this confidence back, perhaps garnered through a respectable showing at the Rising Stars event this All-Star Break, it may be the first step he needs to become the player he was always meant to be.