The Hawks seem like they have secured a future NBA star in the making during this year’s draft, as Zach Risacher is slowly convincing everyone around the Atlanta camp that he might just have what it takes to dominate the league. His recent performance against the Knicks proved this exactly, as he made the most points by any rookie this season.
The young athlete, who plays both as a small forward and shooting guard, filled up the box score with 33 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks during his team’s 121-116 victory on Wednesday evening.
His historic display places him along Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Lamar Odom as the only players to have 30 points and multiple blocks and steals in a single match before turning 20 years of age. However, the 19-year-old is the only one of them to have made it with 5 three-pointers.
Zaccharie Risacher tonight:
33 PTS
7 REB
3 STL
2 BLK
6-10 3PM pic.twitter.com/uS5ZS2WWE4— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) November 7, 2024
When asked how it feels to play four NBA contests in the same week, he didn’t think about his answers twice. “I’m tired,” said the French youngster, who was born in Malaga, Spain. Risacher was this 2024’s first pick of the Draft and has started his team’s past seven games due to De’Andre Hunter’s knee injury.
Zach entered the match shooting 21.1% from 3-point range and 32.9% from the floor, while hiscoach Quin Snyder insists that he should keep shooting even if he misses. “He basically tells me to shoot the f—ing ball,” the player said. “That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody on the coaching staff and my teammates. It helps with my confidence.”
The 19-year-old started out with an incredible 5-of-7 from range, which by the end of the contest turned into 6-of-10 shots from beyond the arc, as well as 11-of-18 from the field. Besides this, the French star showed his ability to dribble around his rivals with excellent ball handling with both hands.
One of his best moments was when he tied the score with only 1:31 to play. “We’ve practiced that,” teammate Trae Young said. “He went to the middle. I knew where to find him, and he knew to turn around and score if [Karl-Anthony Towns] didn’t step up. And if he did, Clint [Capela] was behind him to catch the lob. Zac made a hell of a play. That was a big possession for us.”
His coach Quin Snyder was extremely proud of his pupil, and revealed that the entire locker room celebrated his performance after the match
Getting used to the basketball’s biggest stage isn’t an easy task, as even compatriot Victor Wembanyama needed some time to adapt to the NBA before dominating and eventually earning the Rookie of the Year award. For Zach, however, it comes natural to him.
“It made me super happy to see how people reacted to me being good,” shared Risacher, who is now leading all rookies with averages of 12 points per match, plus boosting his three-point shooting to 27%.
Once the game was over, Atlanta coach Quin Snyder revealed that all his teammates were thrilled about his recent display and celebrated with him in the locker room. This came as a huge relief for the youngster and everyone around, as their first weeks this season have been difficult.
“His progress isn’t going to be linear,” the Hawks tactician explained postgame. “He’s got to stay at it. We have confidence in him if he makes shots or he doesn’t. Today, he was really good on the defensive glass, as well.”
