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.