Hawks are top choice to build on excellent first NBA performance

Zaccharie Risacher will continue his preseason opener tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Risacher was a man possessed in his very first preseason action, scoring an incredible 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, including 75% 3-point shooting on four attempts. The Frenchman also contributed three rebounds and two assists.

Standing at 6’3″, Risacher was a worthy top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after excelling in one of the most competitive professional basketball leagues in the world at just 19 years old. Even back then, not many expected such a hot debut in the NBA. Especially against a team like the Pacers, who have a lot of long wing defenders.

He already looked more comfortable than his Summer League squad, which had a ton of missed threes, defensive calls and more. But the convenience makes sense considering the 19-year-old will likely have found more solid footing a few months into the offseason.

Although Risacher has the talent necessary to be drafted No. 1 overall, it’s still a long-term project. His outstanding first appearance was just the icing on the cake for Hawks fans, who will probably have to be patient with his play at the beginning.

If Risacher can bring his patented shooting and defensive skills to bear in his first season, Trae Young and the Hawks could very well rise further in the Eastern Conference than expected.

Atlanta will open its regular season on Wednesday, October 23rd with a game against the newly rebuilt Brooklyn Nets.

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