Hawks GM Landry Fields Praises Zaccharie Risacher's Shooting and Defensive Versatility

The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft

Sep 23, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields speaks at a press conference at Hawks Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The first round of the NBA Draft has come and gone and the Atlanta Hawks, after much speculation about what they were going to do with the No. 1 pick, stayed put and drafted French forward Zaccharie Risacher, who had become the odds-on favorite to be selected No.1. There were no trades or surprises, the Hawks stuck at No. 1 and took the guy most people thought they were going to take. There is a lot of debate over whether Risacher deserves to go No. 1, but he does bring a certain skill set that is coveted around the NBA, which is a big wing player who can guard multiple positions and shoot the ball well. He was really the only prospect that fits that mold for Atlanta at No. 1, which factored into the decision to take him.

When Hawks general manager Landry Fields met with the media after the first round of the draft concluded, he pointed out that Risacher's versatility on the defensive end and his ability to shoot were huge factors in the Hawks liking him as a prospect:

"Well, you start by what you see and that is he is 6'10 and got the ability to play on both sides of the ball, has the ability to defend, a versatile defender, a really good shooter, and a high IQ type of player. You know, the amount of development that he has had up until this point is fantastic, he is still only 19, he will be 19 all of next year and I have consistently said all of the important qualities for us in the past, about those types of players and who we want in the building at the end of the day and he possesses a significant amount of those"

Risacher is a 6'8, 204 LBS wing player who fills a big need for Atlanta. He has two-way versatility and performed well in his league playoffs since the lottery. He is a plug-and-play type of forward that would fit on the Hawks as either their starting 2 or 3. One player comp that Risacher got earlier in the draft cycle from ESPN's Jeremy Woo was Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton:

High end: Khris Middleton with more defense

Low end: Trey Murphy III

"Risacher brings a lot to the court as an athletic, 3-and-D wing with room to expand his game on both ends. While not likely to become a No. 1 option on offense, as he gets more comfortable playing off multiple dribbles and develops as a shooter, it's easy to see him becoming a viable wing scorer a la Middleton, who has had an outstanding run in Milwaukee, including a title in 2021.

Risacher should also offer more defensively, where he has plus-lateral agility and should be switchable. There's a high level of two-way upside here if one can get past the limited shot-creation ability. Floor-wise, provided Risacher continues to improve as a shooter, you can envision him functioning like Murphy currently does for New Orleans: bringing excellent size and athleticism coupled with quality floor-spacing and defense, but without creating a ton of offense for himself or taking many dribbles."

His ceiling can be debated, but there is no doubt that Risacher can be an impact player for the Hawks. It will be interesting to see how his role develops over the course of next season and how he fits in with the team.