Zaccharie Risacher reminds Hawks fans who he is after slow start to the season

It has been an unpredictable start to the season for the Atlanta Hawks. From injuries, to illnesses, to inconsistent play from their most reliable players, a 5-5 record through the first ten games of the season seems fair.

Zaccharie Risacher, last year's first overall pick, was in the midst of an early-season sophomore slump. Coming into the first of three incredible performances, the 20-year-old forward was averaging 9.4 points per game, a significant drop off from last year. His efficiency was also down, with splits of 42.2% from the floor and 31.6% from deep.

On Tuesday night, the Hawks took on the dangerous Orlando Magic at home. In order to pick up a win against a division rival without their star guard, Atlanta needed a major boost from someone else in the starting lineup. To their luck, Risacher was that guy.

He finished the night with 21 points in 26 minutes, along with 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal. His all-around impact was on full display, as he led Atlanta to an important conference win.

Risacher is proving that he is one of the most underrated forwards in the league.

The next outing came on Friday against the Toronto Raptors, where Atlanta fell back into old habits and lost by double-digits. Surprisingly enough, this was a game that the Hawks controlled for three quarters, but fell apart in the final 12 minutes.

Reality struck that consistent offense is simply going to be difficult to come by with Trae Young sidelined. His ability to create quality looks for everyone on the court is out of this world, and it's up to some of the non-traditional creators to step up in his absence and produce.

Despite the loss, it was yet another solid effort from the second-year forward. He was not as efficient as he was last time out, but still produced a quality stat line and was one of Atlanta's better defensive players. In 30 minutes played, Risacher recorded 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.

There was not much time for Risacher and the Hawks to rest, as they had the Lakers on the schedule the next day. It was the third straight game at home and the second night of a back-to-back, so Atlanta opted to let some of their top guys recover.

Zaccharie Risacher, however, was not one of those guys. He took on the challenge of playing starter-level minutes two nights in a row against two competitive teams. In 27 minutes against the Lakers, the second-year forward kept his hot streak going. He put up 19 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 7/14 from the floor.

It could not be clearer that the first week of the season was a fluke. Hawks fans were beginning to panic, and for good reason, but these past three performances show that Risacher is still as dangerous as ever.