Zaccharie Risacher starting to settle in with Mavericks

Zaccharie Risacher is not the first name anyone mentions when talking about the Mavericks.

That would be Cooper Flagg. Or Kyrie Irving. Or even new coach Dusty May. But Risacher could still end up being pretty important.

The former No. 1 overall pick scored 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting in Dallas’ preseason win over Houston on Sunday, with 14 of those points coming in the second half. Notably, he also converted both of his offensive rebounds into tip-dunks.

“He’s really just learning how to play off of his teammates,” May said of Risacher, who was acquired from the Hawks over the summer, via Grant Afseth of Dallas Sports Journal.

May added that Risacher looked much more comfortable as both preseason games progressed.

“I thought in the second half of both games, he settled in and just looked like he was playing at ease,” May said.

That may be the key for Dallas. Risacher doesn’t need to be the centerpiece anymore.

If he can defend, rebound, run the floor and make open shots around Flagg and Irving, the Mavericks may have found themselves a very useful third piece.