No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher disappointing so far for Hawks

The expert consensus for the 2024 NBA draft was that it wasn’t a good class. No one should have reasonably expected that any of the prospects would become franchise players.

Everyone knew No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher needed time to develop. He was a 19-year-old rookie. Maybe Risacher was a future starter for a good Hawks team. That’s not the ideal outcome for a No. 1 pick, but it’s a solid “B” at worst.

Well, now Risacher isn’t a starter at all.

Coach Quin Snyder moved Risacher to the bench last weekend. After playing nearly 3,000 NBA minutes, he can’t crack the starting lineup for a middling team that’s lacking good two-way wing players.

It’s too soon to call Risacher a bust. He’s been a disappointment so far as the No. 1 pick. That’s true even considering the context of his age and lackluster draft class.

The NBA’s draft lottery began in 1985. Since then, the 19-year-old rookies selected within the first 14 picks who become high-level players usually show it by the time they log 3,000 minutes.

Risacher is behind that curve.

Playmaking and shot creation were cited as his weaknesses before the draft. He hasn’t improved those skills to NBA starter level. Risacher is a low-volume, low-efficiency scorer off the dribble and rarely sets up teammates for good chances. He’s averaging 10.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season.

It possible that “3-and-D” wing player is Risacher’s ceiling. The most valuable players in that role are very good at both defending and shooting. Risacher has work to do to reach that level.

His 3-point shooting accuracy (34.5%) is below average. Risacher is a solid defender. His rebounding is just OK.

“Playing hard defensively, crashing (the boards) a lot, that’s where my focus is right now because that’s what we need me to do,” Risacher said. “I feel like being an impactful player on the defensive side, put pressure on the ball and secure rebounds is what I need to focus on right now. It’s a part of my development.”

Some of Risacher’s draft classmates are far ahead of him.

Stephon Castle (No. 4 pick) is averaging 16.6 points and 6.9 assists as a starter for the Spurs, who stand second in the Western Conference. Reed Sheppard (No. 3) is a key reserve for the third-place Rockets. Defensive anchor Donovan Clingan (No. 7) is helping the Blazers beat preseason expectations.

Those three players would start for the Hawks and shore up their weak areas. None of them look like they’ll become elite players. There aren’t many of those in any draft. There may have been none of them in the 2024 draft.

There’s still a chance for Risacher to play up to his draft status. There are late bloomers among 19-year-old rookies who were drafted in the lottery. Devin Booker, Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine became All-Stars after relatively slow starts to their careers.

The Hawks can afford to wait on Risacher. He’s making $13.2 million this season. The team exercised a $13.8 million option for next season. It’s worth it for the Hawks to pay that money and help Risacher develop. The $17.4 million team option for 2027-28 would look bad on the salary sheet if he doesn’t improve by then.

Risacher will try to find his way on the second unit. Snyder removed Risacher from the lineup and put CJ McCollum at point guard. Nickeil Alexander-Walker shifted to shooting guard and Dyson Daniels moved to small forward.

Snyder cited McCollum’s playmaking and shot creation as the reasons for making the move. Snyder also noted the lineup is the team’s best by far as measured by net efficiency (points per possession scored minus points allowed).

One possible challenge for Risacher as a bench player is that there are no good playmakers among the regular reserves. Risacher’s best stretch of play happened with Trae Young setting him up for scores. The Hawks traded Young to the Wizards in January.

Risacher seems to have the right attitude about his demotion. That’s not a given for top prospects who get benched after reaching the NBA with the highest expectations.

“I feel like I’ve always been a team player, (and) what’s most important about the team, that’s what matters to me,” Risacher said. “I’m ready to do whatever it takes to be able to impact the game as much as I can.”

It’s good for Risacher to accept the benching and focus on playing defense. Players who aren’t stars enjoy long careers by being great in their roles while adding to a team’s good spirit.