While Not Perfect, Zaccharie Risacher's Debut Showed Why The Atlanta Hawks Took Him No. 1

Risacher scored 18 points in his Atlanta debut last night

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) looks to pass the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

One of the worst parts of the NBA Summer League is the inevitable overreactions to rookie performances. Coming off of the NBA Draft, this is the first chance for rookies to make their impressions and show what they could bring to their team this fall. Good or bad, rookie performances are always under the microscope in Las Vegas. For the Atlanta Hawks's No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, he passed his first NBA test.

Now it was not a perfect performance for Risacher and it does not make his Summer League an instant success, but Risacher showed glimpses of why the Hawks spent the No. 1 pick on him. He finished with 18 points on 7-16 shooting and 3-9 from three. I thought Risacher's shooting selection was fine and the fact that he wanted to keep shooting threes was encouraging. Now, Risacher needs to start hitting those at a higher clip, but he should get better looks whenever he gets on the court with Trae Young in the regular season.

clutch three from Zaccharie Risacher to cut the deficit to 2 pic.twitter.com/G0X69UaUuR

— Hawks Film Room (@atlhawksfilm) July 13, 2024

I think the thing that was most impressive last night was Risacher's feel for the game and his passing ability. One of the criticisms of Risacher's game coming into the NBA Draft was that he was not a great passer and he did not do much on the ball. Risacher found open teammates last night and got them good shots.

When he did have the ball in his hands, Risacher not only showed a willingness to keep shooting, but he also put the ball on the floor and drove to the basket. He finished in the lane and looked crafty when getting to the hoop.

Zaccharie Risacher off the bounce with the soft touch again pic.twitter.com/GNf7meKjXZ

— Wilko (@wilkomcv) July 13, 2024

While he was not terrible on defense, I thought Risacher got too eager to help at times and left his man open. That will get fixed but that is something to watch going forward. I also think last night showed that to be able to guard some of the better wing players in the NBA, he is going to have fill out his frame and get stronger, which is going to happen with time.

Risacher flashed a number of skills last night and that should be what has Hawks fans encouraged. He showed his ability to shoot, although he needs to be more efficient. He impressed with his passing ability, which did surprise some, including myself. He showed an ability to score in different ways and not just be reliant on three point shooting. His defense was solid, though it can be improved.

Last night was not the best Summer League debut for a No. 1 pick in the history of the league, but Risacher had a lot of criticisms for a No.1 pick. He showed last night he has the potential to have a versatile skillset that will help this team be better in 2024-2025.