Zaccharie Risacher makes professional debut in Hawks’ Summer League loss

Two minutes into the game, he hooked a shot over a defender for his first NBA basket. Seconds later, fellow rookie Nikola Djurisic found him in the corner for a three-pointer.

Risacher missed his next three attempts from the floor, but those misses didn’t slow his momentum and he attacked. He closed the game quickly, moving his feet to slow down the ball handlers and rushing to rebound his teammates while committing only one foul.

Just two minutes into the second half, he recovered a loose ball after teammate Mo Gueye blocked a shot from Eugene Omoruyi before driving the length of the court and finishing with a left-handed dunk.

“He was able to come into the game, be in the right spot defensively and connect with the other guys on the floor,” Hawks Summer League coach Ronald Nored said. “Offensively, we did a great job as a team of being in the right spot to make plays for each other and Zach fit right in with that and the way the team played together, he was able to get good opportunities. I liked how often he shot.”

Risacher, 19, scored 18 points, grabbed five rebounds and had two assists. He shot 7 of 16 from the field and made three of nine three-point attempts.

“I try to play the way we want to play,” Risacher said. “So, like I said before, during the selection process, I’m ready to do whatever the coaches want me to do. So, if the coach wants me to take three-pointers, I’m going to take three-pointers. And if he wants me to be aggressive, I’m going to be aggressive and that’s part of the player that I am and I express myself at every moment.”

He had plenty of other flashes that weren’t mentioned in the stat sheet, including a dribble behind his back to beat his defender just 90 seconds into the second half. Once he found some space, he swung the ball behind his back to Gueye in the corner.

Credits: AP

Credits: AP

Although the three-point shot didn’t fall, Risacher looked comfortable and showed he might be able to adapt to the speed and space of the NBA.

One thing he quickly learned Friday night is that players around the league aren’t going to roll out the red carpet for him just because he’s the No. 1 overall pick. Throughout the game, Risacher constantly heard his top defenseman Justin Champagnie, who took every opportunity to chirp in his ear.

The Wizards forward is the first of many NBA players who will yell at him during a game. But during his introductory press conference, Risacher said he will focus on the right things to help him handle any pressure that may come with being the No. 1 overall pick.

While he enjoyed his NBA debut, he’s eager to improve on Friday’s performance and show it off in Sunday’s game against the Spurs.

“It’s definitely my defense,” he said. “I think I didn’t show my full capabilities on defense, and I’m a little bit angry because that’s not the player I am. And the defensive part is very important in basketball, and I feel like my team needs that from me too, so that’s going to be the main thing that I have to deal with and improve immediately.”