Was Zaccharie Risacher's NBA2K Rating Too Low, Too High, Or Just Right?

Risacher was rated a 75 overall for the next version of NBA 2K

Jun 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks first overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher (10) poses for a photo at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Some of the rookie ratings for NBA 2K25 were revealed today and one of the players who saw their first rating was the No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher is going to start out as a 75 overall in the new game and be one of the highest-rated rookies in the game.

It’s time for their first ever NBA 2K Ratings 📈@Ronnie2K met up with some Rookies last week at the @TheNBPA Brotherhood Deli pic.twitter.com/OKoAaAgGlD

— NBA 2K (@NBA2K) July 26, 2024

So the question that most people are going to ask is if this is a fair rating for Risacher or if is it too high or too low. While it might be just a game, players and fans alike care a lot about the ratings.

I think starting off as a 75 is perfectly reasonable. Rookies are never going to be rated super high and while Risacher did display his talent during NBA Summer League, he is not as heralded as say Victor Wembanyama was going into last season. What will be interesting is if he can increase his rating as the year goes on.

While his overall rating was revealed, I want to know some of the specific skills that Risacher is rated at higher than others. I think Risacher is a good shooter (despite a poor summer league showing in that area) and his defense is solid. Those are two ratings that I think could be sneaky good for a 75 overall player in 2K.

Some notable rookie ratings from over the years include Wembanyama (84), Zion Williamson (81), John Wall (81), Lonzo Ball (80), Cade Cunningham (80), and Markelle Fultz (80).

He is not the favorite to win it at most Sportsbooks and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Risacher 7th in his Rookie of the Year Projections earlier this week:

"The Atlanta Hawks figure to give Zaccharie Risacher immediate minutes and freedom after drafting him No. 1 overall. He does seem to be in a favorable spot with a creator/playmaker like Trae Young and a power forward in Jalen Johnson who can handle, pass and generate gravity.

Risacher will be in position to play to his strengths as a transition finisher, off-ball shooter and spot-up slasher—the same role he excelled in last season with JL Bourg.

He's just going to be too much of a complementary weapon to consistently put up scoring numbers. Risacher also still needs work making plays for himself in the half court. He'll be reliant on open-floor opportunities, being set up and consistently making threes.

Risacher won't put up many supporting assist or rebounding stats to strengthen a Rookie of the Year case. And though he could be named the starter, he's still likely to split minutes with Bogdan Bogdanovic, De'Andre Hunter and newly acquired Dyson Daniels, whose defense was presumably a key selling point to Atlanta's front office."

Risacher was ranked behind Dalton Knecht (Lakers), Matas Buzelis (Bulls), Stephon Castle (Spurs), Rob Dillingham (T-Wolves), Zach Edey (Grizzlies), and Reed Sheppard (Rockets).

I think Risacher is getting slept on ahead of this year. He has a chance to start and other than Edey, I don't think any of the other players will start right away. Risacher is going to have a chance to impact the game in multiple ways, with his shooting and defensive ability and playing with Trae Young is going to get him easy shots. Those skills have a chance to have a major impact on the Hawks and if their record improves because of Risacher, I think he could end up being the favorite.

Wasserman has also talked about each rookie's role for the season and this is what he had to say about Risacher:

Role: Starter

Usage type: Spot-up scorer

"It's reasonable to expect the Atlanta Hawks will start the player they just took No. 1 overall.

Trading Dejoute Murray for 21-year-old Dyson Daniels and draft picks also suggests there isn't as much pressure to win now as it once seemed. The Hawks figure to give Zaccharie Risacher a longer runway to play through mistakes and develop. But he's also coming off an efficient year starting in LNB Pro A, and his athleticism, shotmaking, and defensive tools suggest he should already be ready for a three-and-D role in Atlanta.

It does seem like Risacher is in a good spot, where he can rely on Trae Young and Jalen Johnson for creation, playmaking and gravity. The 19-year-old figures to spend most of his time scoring in transition and spotting up, similar to what he did with JL Bourg.

Improving his handle and self-creation will be longer-term goals. In the meantime, Risacher will make the biggest impact as a rookie with his athleticism on the open floor, capitalizing on space, shooting and perimeter shot contesting."

The biggest question standing in the way of whether Risacher starts for the Hawks is what they do with De'Andre Hunter. If they trade him, I think Risacher will almost certainly start, but what if the Hawks keep Hunter? Hunter played really well off the bench last season and could give the Hawks some depth at the wing position.

The Hawks are going to be counting on Risacher to improve them this year and I think he could hit the ground running.

For more Hawks Content, Like and Follow us on Facebook