Zaccharie Risacher made headlines this offseason after being seen training former College Park SkyHawks coach and current Hawks Assistant Coach Ryan Schmidt. The most notable part of the leaks was Risacher’s noticeable weight gain.
He’s added at least 10-15 pounds of muscle to his frame. This is a very encouraging development after witnessing the trials and tribulations of his first season in the NBA.
The 19-year-old made headlines last year when he said, “Back in France, I was super athletic, now I’m just a regular dude.”
The rise in physicality was a rude awakening but was essential for his growth. Despite his skinny frame, he demonstrated remarkable moments with multiple 30-point games and ended the season averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 45% from the field.
Now with a stronger body, his added muscle will allow easier penetration to the rim. He finished at a solid clip in the restricted area for a rookie with a difficult shot diet, completing 163 out of 263 attempts (62%). However, this is still 4% below league average. His increased strength will help him acclimate to the NBA small forward position better than last year.
Risacher’s three-point shooting percentage was 46.6% from the left corner and 41.1% from the right corner. It’s a proven fact that strength helps with shooting, and the 20-year-old is expected to play a bigger role in his second year. He’ll have the chance to test his new skills and body in the 2025 EuroBasket for the French National Team.
In an old interview with Benjamin Moubeche from BasketSession, Riscacher expressed his excitement to represent his country before he was officially selected on June 14th, 2025. “The French national team is a childhood dream," said Risacher. "It's always something special. Every competitor wants to win medals for their country, and for me, it would be an immense honor to represent France at the EuroBasket."
How the EuroBasket Will Benefit Zaccharie’s development.
EuroBasket will run from August 27th to Sept 14th, with Risacher playing in at least five games. He will face Belgium (8/28), Slovenia (8/30), Israel (8/31), Poland (9/02), and Iceland (9/04). This schedule puts him on track to face numerous NBA players, including EuroBasket stars Luka Doncic and Deni Avdija.
Both stars will provide a massive test, but France is loaded with NBA talent as well. Bilal Coulibaly, Guerschon Yabusele, Moussa Diabate, and Alex Sarr will join Risacher in his quest to bring home the Nikolai Semashko EuroBasket Trophy. The French National Team was the runner-up of the last tournament after losing to Spain in 2022, so 2025 will serve as their redemption arc.
EuroBasket will be difficult for France as they are missing key players from their 2022 roster, most notably 4x Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and former captain Evan Fournier. However, the absentees provide Risacher with an excellent opportunity to showcase his growth as a pure scorer. Risacher is clearly the best offensive creator on the team and has the best NBA field goal and three point percentages.
He will thrive in Frédéric Fauthoux’s system as the two have a great coach-player relationship. From 15 years old to his departure at 19, Risacher benefited from Fauthoux’s tutelage during his time with ASVEL and Bourg-en-Bresse.
Their efforts culminated in an appearance in the 2024 EuroCup finals, where he averaged 13.1 points, on a spectacular 56% from three. The pair came up short, losing to Paris Basketball 77-64, but they’re expected to replicate similar success with their stacked 2025 roster.
All eyes will be on Risacher to see how the former No.1 overall pick fares. EuroBasket will be an excellent assessment for the 20-year-old, with the Hawks' prospect will be thrust into a role he has not yet played at the highest level.
As one of the stars of the roster, he is expected to average 15-20 points per game, and this pressure will provide a much-needed test ahead of his sophomore season in the NBA. We’re going to find out if he is ready for a bigger role on an improved Hawks team this season and if areas of his game require more improvement.