The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Teams in that position usually take the long-term view about contending for anything knowing the growing pains along the way.
There certainly have been, Risacher included.
However, the Hawks have already accomplished at least one of their goals this season: making it to Las Vegas to win the NBA Cup Finals.
“We pretty much decided it was a goal at the beginning of the season,” Risacher told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears in an interview published on December 11. “But we want to go to Vegas and it’s super. It’s something different, something special for during the season. So, it’s really exciting.”
Risacher was looking forward to the Hawks’ semifinal matchup against the New York Knicks. He did not have a good night shooting the ball, finishing with 2 points on 1-for-8 shooting and was 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
That showing snapped a seven-game streak of double-digit scoring outings from Risacher.
He averaged 12.6 points and shot 39.3% from downtown during the span. The rookie was still an effective defender versus New York, holding his assignments to 2-for-6 shooting overall.
Risacher said he feels no pressure despite his draft position. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder praised Risacher’s work ethic to Spears, something he often spoke to when asked about the rookie.
"He is a guy that is really a sponge to learn and loves to work."
— Hawks On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Hawks) December 13, 2024
Quin Snyder on No. 1 draft pick, Zaccharie Risacher🔊@attorneyjohnfoy | #GetTheStrongArm | #FridayFlex pic.twitter.com/dM7kvA5p1n
Snyder said he does not worry about Risacher losing confidence offensively.
It helps that the Risacher took a while to hit his stride shooting the ball to start the season. He sank multiple triples in just two of his first 14 NBA games, one of which was a 6-for-10 showing against the Knicks.
Zaccharie Risacher's defense helping minimize offensive growing pains
Risacher had hit multiple threes in six of 10 games before reverting and going 0-for-6 in the Hawks’ last two games.
Risacher takes good shots, though, and still defends at a high level.
“I don’t worry about him losing confidence. But playing well gives you affirmation. He just has to keep playing,” Snyder told Spears. “Defensively, he’s been challenged trying to take multiple matchups. If you’re a wing in the NBA, those are the best players in the world that you’re looking at every night.”
Risacher ranks eighth among rookies and third among Hawks players who have played in at least 20 games this season with a plus-1.1 defended field goal percentage, per NBA.com advanced stats.
None of that factors in the context of the matchups he often faces. Defense has kept Risacher on the floor as a surprise starter even as he works to be more consistent offensively.