Quietly, rookie No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher ranks second in points per game among all 2024 NBA Draft class members.
That may seem disappointing for the top pick.
But Risacher entered a different situation than many top picks with the Hawks still boasting a proven All-Star caliber scorer in Trae Young and another rising star in Jalen Johnson, both of whom command touches.
Zaccharie Risacher finding a way amid 3pt struggles
Risacher has found a way to put the ball in the basket even as one of his most highly-touted skills – three-point shooting – has yet to show up.
Risacher is shooting 25% from deep this season.
He had his second-best game from beyond the arc in the Hawks’ win over the Sacramento Kings as he knocked down 3-of-5 triples. His best game was roughly two weeks prior when he connected on 6-of-10 deep looks versus the New York Knicks.
Zacch 3-ball opens the scoring pic.twitter.com/jHWq4y4mnu
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 19, 2024
Before that 3-for-10 showing, Risacher had missed 10 straight three-point attempts spanning three games and was mired in a 1-for-19 slump.
He averages 3.2 fewer points than rookie scoring leader Jared McCain (Philadelphia 76ers).
The two rookie are taking a similar amount of attempts. But McCain is shooting 47.7% from the floor and 40.8% from three. Risacher is shooting 38.6% overall. However, Risacher is averaging 14.6 points and shooting 42.2% over his past nine appearances.
Still, the Hawks need Risacher to turn things around from beyond the arc if he is to remain a starter.
That is especially true with De’Andre Hunter playing as well as he is.
However, Risacher’s ability to impact the game in other ways including scoring without that three-ball falling is an encouraging sign. Risacher has long showcased his advanced IQ, and his shots tend to look good coming out of his hand.
They just have not hit the bottom of the net as frequently as anyone involved would like. That too will come soon enough.
Hawks & the injury report
Injuries have thrown a wrench into the Hawks’ plans for this season. They have not had their full complement of players since the season opener. They have slowly but surely gotten healthier, though.
The Hawks’ latest injury report also revealed the trend could continue with Jalen Johnson upgraded to questionable for the Hawks tilt against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game at Golden State:
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 20, 2024
Jalen Johnson (left lateral lower leg inflammation): Questionable
Cody Zeller (not with team): Out pic.twitter.com/s3xpwiB1to
Few details about Johnson’s injury have been provided. But it kept him out of the win over the Kings. The Hawks were also without Larry Nance Jr. and Vit Krejci for that contest. That all of those players were omitted from the report is why the update is so encouraging.
It has been a rocky start for the Hawks. But improved health should help a lot.
Hawks an interesting case study in rest vs rust
The Hawks are 3-0 when they have at least two days’ rest. They are 1-3 on the second night of back-to-backs, which is understandable given how depleted their rotations have been due to their injuries.
What is relatively alarming, though, is that they are also two games below .500 at 3-5 when they have one day of rest as they will versus Golden State.
Who you play matters.
A road tilt against the 10-3, Western Conference-leading Warriors is unlikely to impact that trend in a good way. But it is still something to monitor given how frequently that will be the case for the Hawks for the rest of the season.