Hawks take Zaccharie Risacher with No. 1 pick in NBA draft

The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday.

Risacher is the son of former pro Stephane Risacher, who helped France finish runner-up to the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney and had a successful playing career throughout Europe. Much like his father, Zaccharie’s a slender combo forward just short of 7 feet with an adept touch from distance.

The 19-year-old wing played with French top-division side JL Bourg this past season on loan from ASVEL – the same club that featured Victor Wembanyama before he joined Metropolitans 92 in 2022. With JL Bourg, Risacher made the finals of the EuroCup – EuroLeague Basketball’s second-tier competition – but lost both legs. Nonetheless, he won the tournament’s Rising Star award and the French league’s Best Young Player honor.

Bio

Position: Forward
Club: JL Bourg (France)
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 194.6 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-10
Max vertical: 31 inches

2023-24 statistics with JL Bourg:

GP
FG%
3PT%
FT%
REB
AST
PTS

32
43.9
35.2
74
3.8
0.8
10.1

Risacher is a solid shooter and 3-point threat for his size. He was much more prolific in 12 EuroCup games – registering 56.1% on 3.4 attempts per game – than he was in the French league. That huge discrepancy might be due to a hot November in which Risacher shot 15-of-21 in the tournament but just 6-of-14 in the LNB Elite.

NBA comparable: Trey Murphy III. Risacher’s versatile defensive upside and penchant for doing a bulk of his damage from distance puts him in a similar mold to the 6-foot-8 Murphy, who fulfills a stellar 3-and-D role with the New Orleans Pelicans. Murphy is a more dependable passer and a better finisher at the rim thanks to his athleticism, but Risacher could create headaches for opponents on the perimeter if his shot becomes more consistent.

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