2024 Prospect Highlight: Zaccharie Risacher

[Jamaaliver]

Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg (LNB Pro A) | France

6'8" | 202 lb | Wing | 19 years old

Connective piece on offense who could quickly earn a role with his two-way versatility.

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Shades of: Michael Porter Jr.

PLUSES

• Rapidly developing into a knockdown shooter. This season he’s making over 47.1 percent of 3s. Is this an outlier year or a sign of development? Over competitions from 2022 to 2023, he made 34.3 percent of 3s and 65.2 percent of free throws. He certainly looks the part with a diverse shooting skill set: backpedaling into 3s, getting his feet set off screens, or sprinting to the wing in transition.
  
• Solid ball handler for his size, capable of bringing the ball up the floor off of defensive rebounds and steals. In the half court, he’s more of a slasher who can attack closeouts. He rarely ever gets chances to generate offense for himself.
  
• Quick decision-maker as a passer. If his handle continues to develop, he could provide great value with his facilitation, but at a baseline he could serve as a connective piece.
  
• Long-armed defender with the tools to be a valuable asset since he moves laterally like a wing. He’s also an aware help defender with a knack for altering shots.

MINUSES

• Struggles to score at the rim in the half court, making only 37.9 percent of those attempts in 2022 and 2023 competitions. This season, he’s making only 51.3 percent. He just doesn’t get a ton of lift at the basket, and he lacks burst off the dribble.
  
• As noted above, he’ll need to prove his improved shooting numbers are for real. He’s still making only 72.6 percent of his free throws.

The Ringer

[Jamaaliver]

2024 NBA draft rankings

1. Zaccharie Risacher | SF | Bourg (France)

6-foot-10 | Age: 19.1 | Previously ranked: 1



Risacher's Bourg team advanced to the French playoff semifinals, where they'll face No. 1 seed Monaco, a top-level Euroleague team that should provide a staunch challenge. Risacher had a career-best 28-point outing in Game 2 of the quarterfinals, putting his talent as a dynamic 6-10 shot-maker and versatile defender with an elite feel for the game on full display.

Risacher is in a group of prospects firmly in the mix for the Atlanta Hawks at No. 1, sources say, and likely won't have to wait long to hear his name called as he's in consideration for every team picking in the top 5. Risacher is slated to attend the NBA Global Camp in Treviso, Italy starting June 4 where he'll go through combine-style testing, drills, interviews and medical examinations; though that might not materialize if Bourg advances to the finals. Risacher is expected to be selective with his pre-draft visits among NBA suitors once he finally does make his way to the States. -- Givony

ESPN Insider

[King Ken]

I have a podcast with Coach Von who's a great AAU coach and Memphis Grizzlies fan and me and him on opposites on Risacher.

That said, I've gone back and watched more games and I do see the flaws and believe Risacher has some serious items to fix. That said, he's a great fit with Trae. He has the short movement of Kevin. He has the small movement of Tony Snell which really helped Trae a lot, remember the game-winner in the ECF season. He does have some PDS but it's not polished yet as it was for Kevin so it will be sporadic. I am sold on his shooting from knees up. He has to work on his footwork on his shot readiness. Strength is an issue and his explosiveness off of two is superior to 1 foot.

I've compared him to Otto Porter Jr. and Tayshaun Prince but I am likely to lean more to Prince with some more modern traits with the small movement like Snell and short movement like Huerter.

Defensively, I liken him to Jaden McDaniels out of Washington. He's gonna need to get stronger but I like a lot of what I see on ball and off ball is promising at times but I've seen games where it was ugly like against Nanterre 92 recently.

Overall, I think he's a clear reach at 1. Trade down.

[Jamaaliver]

Comps for Zaccharie I've heard this week:

Trey Murphy III
Otto Porter
Harrison Barnes
Tobias Harris

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[Jamaaliver]

Spoiler:

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[Jamaaliver]

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[atlantabbq99]

I do not want to trade away Trae, but if the Hawks did, I would only want to trade Trae for the #2 pick. Maybe a 3-way with SAS and WAS.

[raleigh]

I do not want to trade away Trae, but if the Hawks did, I would only want to trade Trae for the #2 pick. Maybe a 3-way with SAS and WAS.

I do want to trade away Trae, but don't want another pick in this year's draft.

In all seriousness, they will give Trae another year unless he asks out.

[King Ken]

Trading Trae is a bad idea

[HMFFL]

Trading Trae is a bad idea

I see the writing on the wall as far as Trae goes. He's going to request out sooner than later. This teams not designed to succeed in time enough for Trae to wait. Keep an eye on his son who will need to start school in the next couple of years. Trae will want school to be a stable environment for his son.

A 19 year old draft pick won't change that, unless the player is a sure thing, the rookie of the year, and an all-star talent early on. The chances of that aren't great, Trae needs his touches anyways, and the pick will more than likely get an average of 8-10 attempts per game.

[Jamaaliver]

Trading Trae is a bad idea

I see the writing on the wall as far as Trae goes. He's going to request out sooner than later.

I actually strongly agree with both of you.

I'm reluctant to trade Trae because he has more value to us on the court than in trade.

I also acknowledge the inevitability of him wanting to leave. I'd give it one more go this season with him as our franchise guy -- and if things still aren't working, look to move him at the trade deadline.

[Jamaaliver]

Risacher's Shot Chart from this past season in France.

Any thoughts?

Spoiler:

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[/quote]

[HMFFL]

Comps for Zaccharie I've heard this week:

Trey Murphy III
Otto Porter
Harrison Barnes
Tobias Harris

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I have him as a future star in the league. All four of those talents are above average role players but my expectations for Zaccharie are much higher than all four of those past & present players.

[Jamaaliver]

Comps for Zaccharie I've heard this week:

Trey Murphy III
Otto Porter
Harrison Barnes
Tobias Harris

I have him as a future star in the league. All four of those talents are above average role players but my expectations for Zaccharie are much higher than all four of those past & present players.

I will gladly take Zaccharie Risacher #1 and grt in position to select Pacome Dadiet in the first too.

[raleigh]

I'm reluctant to trade Trae because he has more value to us on the court than in trade.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

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[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

Great pull, Jayu.

In my book, this fully disqualifies Risacher from being a top-3 selection. The dude can't create his own shot, create offense for others, and he's terrible at attacking closeouts.

Plus he's a streaky shooter with no real history of a 3-point shot before this season.

The dude is awful at offense.

Can he be trained or improve?