Atlanta Hawks select French forward Zaccharie Risacher with No. 1 overall pick in 2024 NBA draft

The Atlanta Hawks have officially made a selection with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and French forward Zaccharie Risacher is now an Atlanta Hawk. After winning the draft lottery last month, it took a long process for the Hawks to find the guy they wanted with the No. 1 pick and Risacher’s name was at the forefront for much of the draft process.

Note that RIsacher could still be moved, with Spurs being a team to watch. Keep an eye on San Antonio as a potential business partner. Unless confirmed, this choice could be on the move. It appears, however, that Risacher is an Atlanta Hawks.

Over the past couple of days and into today, Risacher has remained in the mix and has earned a serious moment to be the No. 1 pick this week, even though there was still talk of Atanta taking either UConn center Donovan Clingan, Alex Sarr, or potentially trading up the pick. In ESPN’s final draft today, Jonathan Givony (who has been a big Risacher fan for some time) said that all signs pointed to the Hawks selecting Risacher:

“With hours until the first round of tonight’s draft, all indications are that Risacher will be in Atlanta, with rival teams that selected behind the Hawks saying their information indicates he will be the pick. The Hawks continue to report that they haven’t yet determined their direction for draft night, but other teams are preparing as if Risacher is going to come off the board at number 1.

The Hawks have some big decisions to make with players already on their roster, including Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, who appear destined to part ways with the team in the not-too-distant future. The New Orleans Pelicans are looming as a potential destination for one of them, with Brandon Ingram being the most attractive and accessible target on the Pelicans roster. Jalen Johnson appears to be the only player the Hawks won’t consider moving.

Risacher, as he has for much of the pre-draft cycle, continues to remain the No. 1 pick after a positive workout with Atlanta. Feedback from those who have seen him in the United States is that he is a better passer and does a better job of initiating contact and playing physical play than one would expect with his frame. thin.

Earlier today on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said something similar:

“Last night, I don’t think the Atlanta Hawks knew who they were going to take. I think they’re leaning toward Zaccharie Risacher, who’s a safe pick at No. 1. He’s 6’9, he can handle a bit of the ball, I actually think he’s a very good passer, I got to see him play in person, but he barely averaged any assists in the French League this year so maybe “He’s a guy who’s going to come in and change the direction of a franchise, but he can come in and be a good third or fourth starter on a really good team one day and in this draft, that’s it. pretty good.”

Risacher is a 6’8, 204 LBS winger who fills a big need for Atlanta. He has two-way versatility and has performed well since the lottery. He is a plug-and-play type forward who would suit the Hawks as a starting 2 or 3. One player Risacher got earlier in the draft cycle from ESPN’s Jeremy Woo was Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton:

High end: Khris Middleton with more defense

Low end: Trey Murphy III

“Risacher brings a lot to the field as an athletic, 3-and-D winger with the ability to expand his game on both ends. While he’s not likely to become a No. 1 option on offense, As he becomes more comfortable playing with multiple dribbles and develops as a shooter, it’s easy to see him becoming a viable scoring wing a la Middleton, who had an exceptional run at Milwaukee, including a title in 2021.

Risacher should also offer more defense, where he has positive lateral agility and should be switchable. There is a high level of two-way advantage here if one can overcome the limited shot creation ability. On the floor, provided Risacher continues to improve as a shooter, you can imagine him functioning like Murphy currently does for New Orleans: bringing excellent size and athleticism coupled with floor spacing and quality defense, but without creating a ton of offense for himself or himself. take a lot of dribbles.

If Risacher turns out to be a Khris Middleton with better defense, Atlanta likely took an All-NBA level player who would be the perfect complement to Trae Young. If this is the true ceiling for Risacher, then the Hawks probably made the right choice

This hypothetical floor for Risacher is also interesting. Trey Murphy III has become a very good player for the New Orleans Pelicans and is a very good defender and a top-three shooter. The debate would be: If he turns out to be like Murphy, is he worth the No. 1 overall pick? I would say no. Murphy is a very good player, but he is probably only the third or fourth best player on a championship team. That is not a bad thing, but the ceiling has to be considered when selecting the No. 1 pick.

A number of draft analysts have said that Risacher is a prospect who has limited ceiling, but a high floor and also plays a position of need. He has two-way versatility and has performed well since the lottery. He is a plug-and-play type forward who fits into the Hawks as a starting 2 or 3. He’s not an elite defender nor an offensive player, but he’s pretty solid at both and he’s coming off a very good offensive season. He also doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be an effective offensive player, as his three-point numbers show. He’ll need to show that it’s sustainable, but he could be a real offensive threat alongside Young and Johnson. He needs to show a wider range of skills on offense, however, and needs to drive and finish better at the rim.

Here’s a scouting report on Risacher from Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor:

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Atlanta still has a lot to sort out with its roster over the next few weeks. they need to solve the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray backcourt somehow, and other players such as Clint Capela, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic could potentially be on the move. Risacher will be just one part of what should be a very eventful summer for the Hawks.