Zaccharie Risacher Stats Tonight: How did Hawks’ No. 1 pick fare in Trae Young's absence vs Ja Morant-less Mavericks? (Dec. 21)

Zaccharie Risacher, the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, has become a consistent starter for the Atlanta Hawks, who faced the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night without star Ja Morant. After starting his first two games off the bench, Risacher has started 27 consecutive games, including this one, and his presence was especially crucial with Trae Young sidelined.

Risacher finished with 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting as the Grizzlies handed the Hawks a 128-112 defeat.

The rookie had a quiet first half, contributing only five points from one 3-pointer and two free throws. The Hawks quickly felt the impact of Young's absence, trailing 73-59 at halftime.

Jalen Johnson led the Hawks in the first half, putting up 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while De’Andre Hunter chipped in with 10 points.

Scotty Pippen Jr. took full advantage of Morant’s absence, finishing with 17 points, six assists and four rebounds for the Grizzlies. Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama also contributed, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Below are Zaccharie Risacher’s full statistics.

PLAYER	MIN	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS	=+/-
Zaccharie Risacher	22:05	3	7	42.9	1	3	33.3	3	4	75.0	1	1	2	1	0	0	1	1	10	-1

Hunter led the Hawks with 26 points, while Dyson Daniels posted 15 points, six assists, and six steals. Jalen Johnson nearly recorded a triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Desmond Bane and Pippen Jr. led the Grizzlies with 23 and 22 points, respectively, combining for 10 rebounds and 17 assists.

Hawks want Zaccharie Risacher to be more aggressive on offense

The Atlanta Hawks made a key move for their future by securing the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, selecting French prospect Zaccharie Risacher.

The rookie has been averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists over 29 games this season. His highest-scoring performance came in November when he posted 33 points against the New York Knicks.

After the game, Risacher shared that Hawks head coach Quinn Snyder has encouraged him to be more assertive offensively and to shoot with confidence.

“He (Snyder) basically tells me to ‘shoot the f****** ball every time,’” Risacher said (per Soaring Down South).

“That’s not just from him. That’s from everybody. Everybody around. Coaching staff, my teammates. So it’s super – it helps for the confidence, especially me coming from France and trying to adjust … It’s super helpful for me to be in that kind of position where you got the confidence of your coach and everyone else.

Risacher has proven to be a reliable starter for the Hawks, who boast several star wings.