Zaccharie Risacher’s NBA Debut Disappoints Fans as Trae Young, Hawks Win vs. Nets

Atlanta Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher, the top overall pick in the NBA draft this summer, hit the very first regular-season shot he took in his NBA career, a catch-and-shoot three off a Trae Young assist.

His debut went downhill from there.

The rookie wing struggled during Wednesday’s 120-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets, finishing with seven points on just 2-of-8 shooting from the field. He added one rebound, no assists and one turnover in 19 minutes. He also missed two free throws in four attempts.

Here was the other shot he made:

Not every rookie can break the NBA upon hitting the league like Victor Wembanyama did last season, and Risacher entered the league a far less polished product. That showed on Wednesday, a fact that didn’t escape NBA fans and pundits alike:

B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman compared Risacher to scoring wings like Michael Porter Jr. and Harrison Barnes back in his April scouting report of the young prospect, noting that his “valued archetype, translatable skill set and room to improve” made him one of the safer players available, alongside his “potential to add more creation and playmaking from his ball-handling development.”

The 2024 NBA draft didn’t offer a highly regarded group of prospects, especially near the top of the board, but 3-and-D wings with excellent athleticism and length—and the potential to grow into secondary playmakers—are incredibly valuable in the modern NBA.

Whether Risacher can check off all of those boxes remains to be seen. One game is obviously a minuscule sample size. But for Risacher, his NBA debut left plenty of room—namely on the offensive end—for growth and development.