Bleacher Report Gives Hawks Rookies a "C" Grade For Summer League Performance

How did the Hawks' two rookies from the 2024 draft - Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Đurišić - perform in Las Vegas?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jules Bernard (14) attempts to block a shot by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Hawks finished up Summer League on Saturday with a 90-82 loss to the New York Knicks, going winless in the tournament. In every game they played, Atlanta was in it until the end and faltered down the stretch. While the results were not exciting, there were plenty of positives during the tournament.

Two of those positives were Zaccharie Risacher and Nikola Đurišić. Although neither played in the full slate of Summer League games, both rookies showed why Atlanta made the decision to take them in the first and second round, respectively.

Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey echoed similar sentiments in his grading of the performance of the Hawks' rookies in Summer League. Bailey had this to say about Risacher and Đurišić:

"Take our first grade of the exercise with a pretty hefty grain of salt. Zaccharie Risacher only played in two games, and Nikola Đurišić broke his foot just over six minutes into his second appearance. But in the very limited action we saw from these two, you could understand why the Atlanta Hawks took Risacher first overall and made a trade to land Đurišić. The former's combination of length and outside shooting was on display in his first appearance, when he had 18 points and hit three threes. A smooth, high-volume shooter with a power forward's frame can do wonders for an offense, and it looks like there's room for Risacher to grow as a playmaker, too. He shot the ball much worse in his second game, finishing the summer league 11-of-28 from the field and 4-of-16 from three, but you can see the vision."

"As for Đurišić, he only took seven shots in Vegas before going down, but Atlanta had him operating as the lead playmaker for much of his possessions, which is pretty interesting for a 6'7" wing. In the tradition of other Serbian NBA players, Đurišić looked like a solid, pass-first player who sees the floor well and has a good feel for the game."

I think this is a pretty fair critique of both Risacher and Đurišić's time in Las Vegas. It is already hard to draw conclusions from the small sample size that Summer League offers. Considering Risacher and Đurišić only played in two games, it becomes even harder to make any big statements about either player.

One thing I think went unnoticed about Risacher's time in Summer League was how solid his handle looked. The behind-the-back crossover that popped up during his time at JL Bourg seems to have translated as he got a defender with the move during the Spurs game. His self-creation still needs work, but he can definitely create more separation than he was given credit for. Fortunately, Atlanta has two capable creators in Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Risacher will have ample opportunities to develop that part of his game.

With Đurišić, I noticed that he got caught trying to do too much at certain points in the game. There would be plays where he would try to score in isolation or attempt a risky pass as opposed to making an easier decision. Still, some of the passes he was delivering were very impressive, like the pass to the corner for Risacher's first three-pointer as an Atlanta Hawk.

Zacch gets to the rim for his first bucket as a Hawk then hits a corner 3 on the next trip down 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/l1nSOGktzH

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 13, 2024

His recovery from his foot injury will be critical for his future as an Atlanta Hawk. On July 16, his agent, Misko Raznatovic, posted an update to X about Đurišić's injury and it seems as though things could be healed up before the season starts in October.

“Nikola Djurisic, playing for Atlanta, suffered an injury in the form of a fracture of the metatarsal bone of his left foot in the match of the NBA summer league. Repairing the injury requires surgery, which is expected this week. The return to the field is planned for the end of September!”

If Đurišić's injury is healed up before the season starts, that could be a boost for Atlanta's boost assuming he sticks on the roster. He's an explosive play finisher - as evidenced by his first points as a Hawk.

NIKOLA ÐURIŠIĆ HOW DO YOU DO pic.twitter.com/KK40uvXnum

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 13, 2024

While neither Risacher nor Đurišić will play in games for the rest of the summer, nothing that they showed in Summer League should make the Hawks feel buyer's remorse.