Our second question tackles the rookie.
In the lead up to the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, we had some big questions about this Atlanta Hawks team that need answering. This is the second of many roundtable topics we here at Peachtree Hoops are weighing in on. The first one can be found here.
What are your expectations for Zaccharie Risacher in his rookie season?
Wes – For me, Risacher just needs to display confidence, effort and stay healthy for this season to be a success. There’s no need for him to go out and prove he’s on par with that of other no. 1 picks throughout the years – just play his role and fit in. If he can give the Hawks 60+ appearances, an efficient 12+ points a night, 35+% shooting from three, and contribute in other ‘little things’ areas like rebounding and team defense, it’ll be a big win in finding the perfect complement for Trae and Jalen long term.
Hassan – Am I being too conservative in projecting a Keegan Murray-esque rookie season for Risacher? Murray (the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft) was nearly three years older than Risacher will be during his rookie season, however he, too, was billed as a ready-made NBA wing without quite star-level upside during his pre-draft process.
As a rookie, Murray’s usage rate (13.8%) ranked in just the 29th percentile amongst all forwards, though he he was productive with the touches he got, averaging 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 41% from downtown (on over six three-point attempts per game) for a Kings team that eventually finished 3rd in the Western Conference. While I’d be surprised if Risacher plays as much as Murray — who started 78 games and averaged 29.8 minutes a night as a rookie — with Jalen Johnson and fan favorite De’Andre Hunter still ahead of the him in Atlanta’s pecking order on the wing, I expect for him to be impressive and efficient in a medium to low usage role this season.
Joe – I expect a very solid season from Risacher. He will definitely get his shots up when he’s in, and I’m sure Snyder is preaching that to him. We’ve already seen progression in his playmaking and scoring outside of shooting. He only needs to be solid defensively with his size and length, but it will be fun to see him matchup against some of the tougher players if Daniels or Hunter miss a game. Overall, I’d expect somewhere between 11-14 points per game, maybe 37% from beyond the arc. I expect his defense to be somewhere between solid and good, but it’s always fun to watch a guy like him who’s always giving effort on both ends.
Graham – Risacher, I think, has entered a unique situation where there’s not as much pressure entering the season as a number one pick as there would otherwise be. For this reason, it’s perfectly OK for him to come off the bench and ease into NBA life. I expect Risacher to go through the usual rookie ups and downs, I expect he’ll come off the bench, he’ll bring energy off the bench, he’ll bring some defense, and I think he’ll shoot well enough for his rookie season.
By all accounts from the Hawks, he works his ass off and he’s clearly got talent to go with it, so I expect there to be good development during the season such as that he will be in the starting lineup by the end of the season. I think there’s a strong rookie season incoming for Risacher, and I think he can end up averaging 10-12 points.