The No. 1 selection comes off the bench in the first professional game

Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, made his professional debut in a game that counted as the Atlanta Hawks took on the Brooklyn Nets in the regular season opener. The difference between his performance in the regular season opener and what we saw from him in the preseason were the results.

Risacher finished the game with 7 points on 2-for-8 shooting and went 1-for-4 from three-point range in 19 minutes.

He came off the bench in his first game, subbing in for Dyson Daniels with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

Risacher's first shot gave a glimpse of his offensive role on most possessions, as he stood outside the arc, intercepted Trae Young's pass and fired a three-pointer that found the bottom of the net.

From then on it became more difficult. At one point, Risacher was 1-7 from the floor, 1-4 from downtown and 2-4 at the free throw line.

His second basket came from just at the top of Young's arc and he slammed it home.

That gave the Hawks a 90-85 lead with 9:47 to go. It is noteworthy that both of Risacher's baskets were scored after assists from Young on plays that were initiated by Jalen Johnson with a rebound. For the Hawks, that was perhaps the most encouraging sign of all.

“What I was told was that they are looking at either surrounding Trae or maybe in the future when Trae isn't on the team – and I'm not saying they want to move him. I say this as if they were building their roster with a heavy emphasis on position size. And they like the idea of ​​playing Risacher while Jaylen Johnson moves forward,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie told Keith Smith on the “Game Theory” podcast in September.

“You see those two as a really good complement to each other, with Jalen being this dynamic athlete in transition who is a playmaker. And then Risacher is your really solid winger who can provide really solid help on defense, can block shots from distance, and hopefully has a little bit more up his sleeve offensively as he continues to grow and mature and his frame fills out.

It could be more difficult for Risacher to crack the starting grid than initially expected. Both Daniels and De'Andre Hunter had strong performances against the Nets. But the long-term vision for Risacher still seems to be a more than reasonable expectation.

Risacher needs some finesse and power; He ended the night with a rebound.

That's to be expected from a rookie who doesn't turn 20 until April 8, five days before the Hawks' final regular-season game.

If Risacher continues to look for his shot, knock it down when he takes it, and defend at a high level, he will be fine. His next test will be Friday, Oct. 25, when the Hawks host the Charlotte Hornets

Grade – C+