After weeks of speculation and scrutiny over who the Atlanta Hawks may select with their coveted number one NBA Draft pick, the team finally answered the question and made their selection.
It’s Zaccharie Risacher.
HE’S NUMBER 1️⃣
Welcome to Atlanta, @Zacch_10! pic.twitter.com/1Ro2XPAr6l
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) June 27, 2024
Credit: Atlanta Hawks
With this pick, the Hawks now have another offensive weapon for the upcoming season.
The Spain-born 6 foot 9, 19-year-old Risacher has played basketball in France since 2020, where he played for ASVEL (2021-2024) and JL Bourg (2023-2024). The small forward is making his NBA debut for the Hawks this upcoming season.
Risacher was named Best Young Player for the LNB Elite 2024 season, averaging 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 22 minutes. Among his many accolades, he won the Nike Hoop Summit (2023), Leaders Cup (2023), and the Euro Cup Rising Star Award earlier this year.
At a press conference after the pick was announced, Risacher said he likens his playing style to Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson.
“I like the way he plays,” he said. “I think we got the same game, obviously he’s better than me, but I think with hard work I can improve the style of my game.”
Hawks General Manager Landry Fields said after the draft “Having this pick wasn’t necessary about having any direction. I think we took this as an opportunity to get who we felt was the best player in the draft.”
At one point, it seemed like Alex Saar was the top contender to be selected by the Hawks, but the focus soon turned to Risacher, Donovan Clingan, and other players as the Draft drew closer. Saar reportedly skipped a pre-Draft workout with the Hawks. He himself confirmed his absence in an interview Tuesday, saying he did not need to practice. Saar was drafted to the Washington Wizards for their #2 pick.
The Risacher pick is the only one the Hawks own. They surprised the NBA world by winning the number one pick in the NBA Draft lottery held earlier this year.
With the Draft now behind them, the Hawks face their next task before the new season begins, which is deciding which one of their two biggest stars they want to keep: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, or neither.
In another local NBA Draft story, Stephon Castle, from Newton High School, has been drafted to the San Antonio Spurs.
Image credit: Atlanta Hawks
