Recapping an Action-Packed All-Star Weekend for Atlanta Hawks Rookie Zaccharie Risacher

Risacher played in the Rising Stars game yesterday before competing in the 2025 Kia Skills Challenge with Alex Sarr as part of All-Star Weekend.

February 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team T forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) of the Atlanta Hawks shoots the ball against Team C forward Zach Edey (14) of the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Since being picked first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Zaccharie Risacher has been of national interest. The 19 year-old French forward has gone through ups and downs even in his rookie season, but he has been trending up over the past two months.

After starting the season by shooting under 30% from deep and struggling to acclimate to the Hawks' offense, Risacher has looked much more comfortable. One thing that has been consistent for him this year is his defense. For a rookie wing, Risacher has surprisingly been a net neutral on defense. He doesn't produce a ton of highlights or make as many noteworthy plays as Daniels, but he plays his assingment well and moves his feet quickly to close off angles. He can get bullied by stronger players, but that doesn't happen nearly as much as it usually does with a 19 year-old wing. However, the very encouraging part of his rookie season has been the improvement he's shown on offense. Since December, he's shooting 37% from deep and upped his scoring to 12 points on league-average efficiency.

He's also showing some real upside as an off-ball threat. In his last game against the Knicks, he had a beautiful three-pointer where he cut into the open space and confidently shot the three off the pass from Trae Young. The Hawks certainly raised some eyebrows when they took him at the top of the 2024 draft, but he's on his way towards proving them right. If the Suns trade for Risacher, they would have their wing duo of the foreseeable future with Ryan Dunn and Risacher. That could give Devin Booker a real reason to stay in Phoenix and gives them some hope for the future.

Yesterday, Risacher competed in the Rising Stars game as part of Tim Hardaway Sr's team. He played with Cason Wallace of the OKC Thunder, Jaime Jaquez Jr of the Miami Heat, Gradey Dick of the Toronto Raptors, Anthony Black of the Orlando Magic, Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards and Tristan da Silva of the Orlando Magic.

With the teams playing to a target score of 40, Risacher came through with a big dunk when Team T was down, 33-24, to Chris Mullins' Team C. Dick found him on a cut to the rim. Risacher's off-ball movement has been so impressive as of late and plays like that are a great example of it. He also had a nice layup over a fellow rookie in Grizzlies center Zach Edey to pull Team T within four, 38-34. However, Team T couldn't close the deficit and fell to Team C, who went on to win the Rising Stars tournament.

Risacher went second with Sarr in the Skills Challenge after Chris Paul and Victor Wembenyama went first. The Spurs duo was disqualified due to not making legitimate shot attempts, but Risacher recorded a time of 38.4 in his run. He missed his first shot and a layup at the end, but he acquitted himself nicely by hitting on his other shots. The Sarr-Risacher combo recorded a combined time of 1.20.

Ultimately, the Cleveland Cavaliers' duo of Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell proved to be the winners of the Skills Challenge. However, it was an excellent display of what makes Risacher such an exciting prospect. His three-point shot looked very smooth and he looked very comfortable when he was able to handle the ball during the Skills Challenge.

It's a nice start for Risacher, but Hawks fans are undoubtedly hoping to see Risacher play in the All-Star game multiple times during his career. If his rookie season is any indication, there's a chance they can see it happen.

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