ESPN Predicts How Big Of A Leap Zaccharie Risacher Makes In Year Two

After finishing as the runner up for rookie of the year, Zaccharie Risacher is set to be one of the most important players on a team hoping to contend in the Eastern Conference. Risacher had a strong second half of the season, especially on offense and shooting the basketball and that has both coaches and fans excited for what is next in his development. How big of a leap that Risacher makes in year two could be the difference in the Hawks being a playoff team and the Hawks possibly making the NBA Finals.

So what kind of leap could Risacher have in store? ESPN recently ranked him as the No. 3 Sophomore player to watch this season, behind Spurs guard Stephon Castle and Rockets guard Reed Sheppard:

Rookie season superlative: "Risacher validated Atlanta's conviction in selecting him first in a draft class that lacked a true consensus No. 1 among NBA decision-makers. While he didn't win Rookie of the Year, he was one of just a few rookies to make significant contributions on a playoff-caliber team, shooting 45.8% from the floor and 35% from 3 and starting 73 of 75 games. He added immediate value entering the league at age 19, the question being how much he'll add to his game as his career unfolds."

Why he's ranked here: "The Hawks strengthened their position this offseason, adding Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker -- they also nabbed a potentially high-value 2026 draft pick from New Orleans by trading out of the 13th pick. With Trae Young and Dyson Daniels due for contract extensions, there's impetus to win now as well as a big-picture evaluation process for Atlanta's front office moving forward. Part of why Risacher is so valuable is that his shooting, perimeter defense and positional size at small forward fit neatly in just about any lineup framework.

With that in mind, Risacher's continued evolution as a scorer should be paramount for the Hawks. Atlanta has enough playmaking on the roster, and Risacher should be solid enough off the ball that they don't need to accelerate his growth as an on-ball scorer, but directing some diet of creation reps his way is likely in their best interest long-term. How much more comfortable he can become playing off the dribble, getting to his pull-up and making plays for teammates is worth finding out. Some degree of development in those areas may be the difference between him being an excellent role player or tapping into higher-end outcomes for his growth.

How much Atlanta pushes Risacher in that respect will be worth watching to start next season: He might not necessarily wind up as a typical No. 1 pick-level franchise player without significant growth, but it's possible he far surpasses what were relatively modest expectations by top-pick standards. He's set to play with the French national team at EuroBasket in August, which might offer a window into his offseason growth."