NEW YORK — The Hawks have their guy. On Wednesday night, the team used the first pick of the NBA draft to select French wing Zaccharie Risacher. Now, the 19-year-old begins his journey of trying to help the Hawks win more basketball games.
Of course, Risacher has to let the dust settle after the whirlwind that followed selection. The forward will land in Atlanta on Thursday and one of the first things on his mind is getting back in the gym.
Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 195 pounds, Risacher knows that he will have to fill out his frame to help consistently hold his own against the bigger and faster players in the NBA. Working on his body is one of the initial areas of growth that the Hawks front office and coaching staff want him to address.
“That’s going to happen naturally over time,” Hawks general manager Landry Fields told reporters following the conclusion of the first round of the draft. “And when we get them into our program and our development system that will come about more and more. You look at the rookies last year that we drafted to where they’re at now; staying up here I was looking at a picture of those three, and I’m like, ’It’s quite a transformation (by) the end of the year.’ So that’s something that we initially look at and make sure we have a good plan for him going forward.”
They will get a little more clarity after Risacher undergoes his medical evaluation at the practice facility Friday following his introductory press conference in Atlanta.
Risacher and the Hawks can take advantage of his presence in Atlanta this summer. The French national team did not name the 19-year-old to their roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, and he likely has plenty of Olympics time ahead of him. For now, he’ll be able to work individually with some of the Hawks’ player-development staff.
The team also will have a minicamp with their Summer League team before heading to Las Vegas next month.
The Hawks’ Summer League roster includes last year’s draft picks Kobe Bufkin and Mo Gueye. Fields added that Dylan Windler, who played on a two-way contract last season, will play on the team.
The team has not indicated if Risacher will play all four “qualifying games” before the Summer League playoffs. Typically, though, first-round picks and players who don’t sit on the bubble of making the team, play no more than the first three Summer League games.
Since Risacher finished playing in the LNB Élite playoffs last month, the Hawks may limit him to the first two games to ensure he remains as healthy as possible heading into training camp in October.
With the Hawks taking Risacher with the No. 1 pick, fans can expect the team to play their first game on the opening night of Summer League on July 12. The NBA typically schedules the top two teams for a prime-time game on the first day.
So, the Hawks likely will face the Wizards, who selected Alex Sarr with the second overall pick.
But with the draft behind them now, the Hawks can now begin setting their plan in motion for incorporating Risacher into their lineups.
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