During his rookie season last year, Zaccharie Risacher came off the bench for his first two games.
After those two games, the former number one overall pick was inserted into the starting lineup for the rest of the season. It was a roller-coaster season for Risacher, who ultimately finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting and made the All-Rookie first team.
This season, Risacher has not made the expected leap as a former first overall pick. His stats are down across the board despite his role staying mostly the same. Last season, he averaged 24.6 minutes per game, compared to 24.3 this season. Although there has been a lot of turmoil with the Hawks’ roster this season, Risacher has mostly underperformed.
Risacher’s most notable decline this season is in his shooting. His 9.1 field attempts per game are slightly fewer than last season’s 10.4. His field goal percentage has decreased to 44.1% from 45.8%. His three-point percentage has dropped to 34.5% from 35.5%. The biggest decline is in his free-throw percentage, which has fallen from 71.1% last season to 59.7% this season.
Ahead of the Feb. 22 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks Head Coach Quin Snyder chose to start CJ McCollum over Risacher for the first time this season. This season hasn’t gone as Risacher hoped, and this decision could affect his development or future with the team.
Trust Issues
Among the 105 players who have started at least 40 games this season (as of Feb. 24), only Dominik Barlow has played fewer minutes per game than Risacher. Over the season, he is averaging just 5.4 minutes per game in the fourth quarter. The lack of playing time has led some to believe that Snyder does not trust Risacher, especially in the most crucial moments of the game.
When asked why Risacher was benched in favor of McCollum, Snyder pointed to the plus/minus stat with McCollum on the floor instead of Risacher.
“That is, by far, our best lineup from a plus-minus standpoint. You could make an argument that we should start that lineup,” Snyder said.
The lineup including McCollum alongside Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu has played only 92 minutes this season (as of Feb. 25), but it has generated a +32.4 NET rating. In comparison, the same group with Risacher instead of McCollum has a -4.2 NET rating in 293 minutes this season.
The goal for Atlanta is to find lineup combinations that produce the best results. It became clear to Snyder that Risacher has not been a positive presence on the floor this season. His -2.7 NET rating this season is not going to help him earn more playing time. Since Jan. 31, Corey Kispert has received equal or more playing time than Risacher in seven out of 10 games (up to Feb. 24).
Development Still A Focus
In light of the news that Risacher would be coming off the bench, Snyder still had positive words despite the tough decision.
“[Zaccharie Risacher] (is) about all the right stuff, and so his development is something that’s going to continue to happen whether he’s starting or coming off the bench,” he said.
It is common to see a lineup change when a player is struggling. With McCollum proving to be a positive influence for the Hawks with this group, it makes sense why Snyder would choose to start him. Since making the lineup change, Atlanta has gone 2-0, with wins over the Nets and Washington Wizards (as of Feb. 25). In the win against Brooklyn, Risacher only played 19 minutes—that’s only the fifth time this season he’s played less than 20 minutes in a game. However, he played 28 minutes off the bench in a blowout win over Washington in the next game.
Future With Atlanta in Question?
The reality is that Risacher is only 20 years old and in his second year in the league. While he hasn’t met the expectations typically associated with a number one pick, that doesn’t mean the Hawks will automatically look to replace him. Unfortunately for Atlanta, Risacher hasn’t become the franchise-changing talent that you might expect from a top pick. It was a tough situation because the 2024 NBA Draft didn’t generate much excitement.
In October 2025, the Hawks exercised Risacher’s third-year option worth $13.8 million for the 2026-2027 season. He has another team option for the 2027-2028 season valued at $17.4 million. It’s unlikely Atlanta will move on from Risacher while he’s still on his rookie contract. It’s also unclear what interest he might have in the trade market.
There is still time for Risacher to improve, considering how young he is. He’ll be just 23 years old when he enters Restricted Free Agency. This season hasn’t been ideal for Risacher, but Atlanta will probably keep him and focus on his development moving forward.
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