Is Hawks Rookie Zaccharie Risacher Getting Enough Respect Heading Into the 2024-25 Season?
National media is not high on Risacher’s chances to make a big impact for Atlanta in 2024-25 – are they missing something?
Rohan Raman | 9 Hours Ago
Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) competes against Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (17) during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
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Coming into the 2024 NBA Draft, the prevailing discourse around the class was that it lacked star potential. It remains to be seen whether that criticism is overblown, but the lack of agreement around the players with the most potential in the class has led to a wide range of opinions about which rookie is going to make the biggest impact for their team in 2024.
That is clearly represented in the recent media poll about the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year. No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr tied for the sixth-best chances to win the award. Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (taken 3rd overall) took most of the votes, getting 62% of the first place votes. Grizzlies center Zach Edey came in second (taken 9th overall) and he was followed by Donovan Clingan (taken 7th overall), Stephon Castle (taken 4th overall) and Rob Dillingham (taken 8th overall).
This is not to say that Risacher is a flawless prospect. There was plenty of discussion for Sarr or Clingan to be taken at the top of the draft for a reason. However, I think Risacher's impact to the Hawks is being undersold and he should be in the top-three of voting for the award. The combination of his skillset and role on the 2024-25 Hawks cannot be dismissed.
By taking Risacher first overall, the Hawks are confident in his ability to be an effective off-ball wing who fits around their star players. Trae Young and Jalen Johnson are both players that are going to demand a large amount of touches. Therefore, the pathway to being a contributing rookie on offense for Risacher is using his off-ball gravity, shooting three-pointers without hesitation and keeping the ball moving. I think he showed flashes of all three in Las Vegas.
Part of the relative lack of respect for Risacher likely stems from his Summer League performance. 14.5 points on 39.3% shooting from the field across two games is definitely indicative of some struggles, but the statistics don't tell the full story. Risacher tied for the sixth-most three-point attempts per game, which traditionally translates better to the regular season than percentages do. Hawks fans should be excited that he is unafraid to shoot threes, whether coming off of a screen or creating it himself. It's still unclear whether the 40% mark he shot from three-point range last season will translate, but he'll have plenty of opportunities to work on it.
He also showed some good playmaking abilities in Summer League. Even though he only averaged 2.0 assists, he limited his turnovers and looked comfortable as a connective passer. Again, I'd stop short of calling him elite in that area, but he showed he can handle responsibilities that he will be tasked with in Year 1.
At only 19 years old, Risacher still has plenty of physical development left to undergo. Despite that, he showed plenty of defensive ability in his two games. He can chase players around screens, guard in space and generally held up on the perimeter. If he can develop into a quality perimeter defender for Atlanta, he should be able to stay on the floor for long stretches. This is a concern with Sheppard, whose size makes him susceptible to being blown by.
Additionally, a closer look at the other rookies indicate their role isn't perfectly carved out in the way that Risacher's is. I'm very high on Sheppard's potential, but he might be a part-time player until his defense catches up to his tremendous shooting abilities. Clingan will likely have to play next to DeAndre Ayton – it's unclear how Ayton is going to fit as a power forward rather than as a center. Castle's growth on the offensive end is going to take time, especially on an offense that finished with the fifth-worst offensive rating despite having Victor Wembenyama. Rob Dillingham is almost certainly going to be a sixth or seventh man in his rookie year and his size comes with significant defensive concerns. That does not mean they are not going to be productive, but their team context and talents are not overwhelmingly better than Risacher's. His role is simple and there's no reason to dismiss his ability to handle it from a shortened Summer League stint.
