No. 1 overall pick brings unique style to NBA Summer League

Zaccharie Risacher could be the most compelling — but also most unknown — No. 1 pick to enter the NBA in some time.

It’s not because Risacher comes from France and most American fans only know him from his YouTube highlights. It’s because there’s mystery surrounding how the Atlanta Hawks will deploy the 6-foot-9 small forward.

The Hawks have a guard that needs the ball in All Star Trae Young. That means Risacher, 19, will need to learn to complement Young early in his career. It’s a process Risacher is starting this week at NBA Summer League.

It’s a role he should be able to succeed in thanks to his strong perimeter game. He can come off screens and be a catch-and-shoot threat from the 3-point line.

That is, as long as he can adjust to the increased distance in the NBA. The 3-point line is 23 feet, 9 inches away from the basket in the NBA, compared to 20 feet, 6 inches in France’s LNB Elite.

“It’s a little bit far from in Europe,” Risacher said. “Doing reps and shooting again and again so I can adapt myself.”

Risacher shot 35 percent from beyond the arc last season with LNB Elite’s Bourg and averaged 10.1 points and 22 minutes per game.

He’s attempting to become the latest international standout to assimilate to the NBA, following in the footsteps of Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Dallas’ Luka Doncic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There is room for Risacher to develop. But his length and athleticism should be able to take him far.

“The thing I’ve been impressed by is his ability to take a miss,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields said. “It’s a new game, a new system, a new way of playing. For him to step into that more and more is crucial for how he’s going to develop as a player, and we’re going to help him through that.”

Risacher scored 18 points in his NBA Summer League debut Friday in a 94-88 loss to No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards at Thomas & Mack Center. Risacher was 3-for-9 from deep and also had five rebounds and two assists.

He struggled in his next game Sunday, a 79-76 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at Thomas & Mack Center. Risacher was held to 11 points and was 1-for-7 from 3-point range.

“I think I did OK but I know I can be better,” Risacher said. “I have to put weight on my body and just keep getting stronger.”

Risacher’s defense should give him the chance to be an effective player even when his shot isn’t falling. He’ll need to add muscle over time, but his length will make him difficult to get around.

“He’s 19. He’ll be 19 all this season,” Fields said. “We’ve done some new things with our performance staff that we’re really excited about. He’s a worker. I would say look at his body this time next year and you’ll see some transformation.”

The Hawks won 36 games last season but lucked out in the draft lottery when they earned the No. 1 pick despite having just a 3 percent chance to do so.

The team hopes Risacher is the missing piece that can help Young get the group back in contention.

“Now, the real work is starting,” Risacher said. “I’m just excited to start a new journey.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.