Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Explodes for career-high 33 points
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Risacher contributed 33 points (11-18 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 5-9 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals in 37 minutes during Wednesday's 121-116 victory over the Knicks.
Risacher endured a shooting slump in the early stages of the season but has been playing better of late, and he's been improving with each passing game. Things seem to have clicked for him since the start of November, and he has scored in double digits in three straight games. This 33-point output represents a career-best mark for him, and although he's not likely to hover around the 20-point mark in most games, his arrow is certainly trending in the right direction.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Rookie slump continues
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Risacher closed Friday's 123-115 loss to the Kings with three points (1-9 FG, 1-6 3Pt) and one rebound across 20 minutes.
Risacher couldn't keep the momentum going after his 17-point effort in the loss to the Wizards on Wednesday, and he had a rough shooting performance this time around. Risacher has scored in single digits in four of his six outings to date, averaging 8.2 points per contest and shooting a worrisome 31.6 percent from the field. It's still early to hit the panic button, but Risacher's efficiency numbers have conspired against his upside thus far, especially since he's expected to remain in the starting unit for the foreseeable future.
Risacher accumulated 17 points (7-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal over 35 minutes during Wednesday's 133-120 loss to the Wizards.
Risacher enjoyed the best game of his young career Wednesday despite struggling with his outside shot. The 2024 No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft has started in his last three contests, averaging 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.3 steals in 29.3 minutes over that span. While Risacher is posting 35.4/23.8/58.3 shooting splits on the season, his defensive prowess is encouraging.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Making first career start
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Risacher will start Sunday's game against the Thunder.
Risacher will enter the starting lineup due to De'Andre Hunter (knee) being ruled out. The No. 1 overall pick has struggled to kick off his career, averaging 6.0 points on just 23.1 percent from the floor through two games, but he will now get an expanded opportunity.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Adds 14 bench points
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Risacher tallied 14 points (5-11 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, one assist and one steal in 23 minutes during Monday's 104-89 preseason loss to the 76ers.
Risacher came off the bench again Monday, but he finished the night with a team-high 14 points and fell just two rebounds shy of a double-double. The 2024 No. 1 overall pick continues to impress in the preseason, as he's scored 32 total points in his first two appearances while also showing significant upside on the glass.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Participating in camp
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Risacher (quadriceps) has been a full participant at training camp this week, Kevin Chouinard of the Hawks' official site reports.
The Hawks have made no mention of the quadriceps injury that limited the rookie during Summer League. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Risacher will have the opportunity to make his case for the starting small forward role in camp.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Out again Saturday
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Risacher (quadricep) won't play in Saturday's Summer League game against the Knicks, Brad Rowland of the Locked On Podcast Network reports.
Risacher will miss the Hawks' final Summer League contest -- his third consecutive absence -- due to a bruised right quad. The issue isn't expected to have any long-term ramifications, and it's likely that the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will be a full participant when training camp gets underway in the fall.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Sitting with bruised quad
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Risacher won't play in Wednesday's Summer League game against the Lakers due to a right quad contusion, John Hollinger of The Athletic reports.
The No. 1 overall pick participated in both of the Hawks first two Summer League games and is averaging 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks. However, Risacher will be held out of Wednesday's contest due to a bruised right quad. His next chance to play will come Friday against the Bulls.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Struggles from floor
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Risacher recorded 11 points (4-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 2-5 FT), five rebounds, two assists and a block in 29 minutes during Sunday's 79-76 loss to the Hawks in Summer League.
Risacher posted a second consecutive double-digit scoring outing to kick off Summer League but struggled with efficiency. The first-overall pick has especially struggled from deep, shooting just 25.0 percent from three over his first two outings. Despite his struggle to kick off Summer League, he is a proven proficient three-point shooter, logging 45.0 percent from beyond the arc across 23 games during the EuroCup in 2023-24, so it will be surprising if his shooting woes continue for an extended period.
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Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher: Goes No. 1 overall
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Risacher was selected by the Hawks with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Risacher boasts a coveted 3-and-D skillset. He is listed at 6-foot-8 with plenty of length and knocked down 39 percent of his attempts from long range last season. While a versatile defender who can stroke it from three-point land is incredibly valuable in the modern NBA, Risacher's likelihood of living up to the expectations of the No. 1 pick will likely rely on his ability to produce off the dribble. He averaged less than one assist per game in 2023-24 for Mincidelice JL Bourg and had difficulties creating his own shot. The 19-year-old Frenchman may not have the upside of others in this class, but he profiles as an immediate impact player for the Hawks, who already have plenty of talent, including one of the league's best playmaking point guards in Trae Young. From Day 1, Risacher should be the favorite to start on the wing, but he'll have to beat out the likes of Bogdan Bogdanovic and De'Andre Hunter to secure the spot.
