As the clock counted down 2 years ago, Wizards fans held their breath. Sitting second, the team had no clue what direction the Atlanta Hawks would go with their first-round pick. Their only hope was that Alex Sarr, the consensus top-ranked player, wouldn’t be the selection.
The Wizards would get their wish, and then some. The Hawks would select French wing Zaccharie Risacher, handing Washington Sarr.
While Sarr has grown into a key piece of the Wizards’ future, Risacher’s struggles have likely made him a trade candidate this summer. The wing played just 3 minutes in Atlanta’s playoff win this Monday.
Risacher’s struggles make his standing in Atlanta well-warranted. But given his skill set, the wing could be an intriguing trade candidate for Washington, pairing the first and second picks in a new destination.
The Wizards need defense
Washington ranked dead last in defensive rating this season, allowing a whopping 121.5 points per game. It was a multi-faceted struggle: their lack of rim protection hurt them, as did their abysmal depth of perimeter defenders outside of Bilal Coulibaly.
Risacher has had his ups and downs, but still projects as an upside defender. He’s not the quickest, but he utilizes his size well around the rim, and is very active in passing lanes. The wing averaged a steal per game in limited minutes, leveraging his above-average mobility for his size.
Adding the young player into the mix could give Washington another young piece to grow their defense, at a position group that currently lacks talent.
Lineups featuring Risacher and Coulibaly could give Washington a new level of defensive flexibility, with both showing flashes of the ability to guard 1-5 well.
Solely for his impact on the Wizards’ biggest flaw, the Frenchman could be a worthwhile investment.
Risacher’s offense continues to grow.
While offense is the current area of struggle for the current Hawk, it’s easy to see how he could grow into a useful player for Washington on this end.
Although not quite the development Atlanta hoped, Risacher has improved as a 3-point shooter this year. The wing has gone from a 54% true shooting percentage to 55.7%. This includes a stretch where he shot 52% from 3 in March, looking like a reliable marksman.
It’s unclear if Risacher can continue to improve as a shooter, but it should be pointed out that he has improved every year of his young career.
One of the biggest selling points during pre-draft scouting reports was his growth from beyond, improving from 35.2% in France in the 2023 regular season to 56.2% in Eurocup(postseason) play.
If Risacher can continue to grow from beyond, he could be an essential piece for Washington, turning into the 3 and D wing they’ve long sought.
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