Hawks use No. 1 pick on 19-year-old Frenchman Risacher

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Hawks have selected French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Risacher became the second consecutive international prospect – and fourth overall – to be a top pick in the NBA. He succeeds his compatriot Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ number one pick in last year’s draft.

Italian great Andrea Bargnani was selected first by the Toronto Raptors in 2006, while the Houston Rockets selected Hall of Fame center Yao Ming with the first pick in 2002.

“It’s a blessing, you know,” Risacher said. “So exciting. There are a lot of feelings and emotions right now. I don’t know what to say, but it’s really special. I’m so blessed.”

Risacher, 19, played last season for JL Bourg in Ligue 1 and averaged 11.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in competition, both in the EuroCup and Ligue 1. He is the basketball player’s son longtime French professional Stéphane Risacher, who won a silver medal with the French national team at the 2000 Olympics.

“I’m really excited about what’s going to happen,” Risacher said. “I just want to do my best to help the team. I feel like I can help a lot. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to be able to get on the field with these great players.”

The 2.05m forward stood out throughout the draft process, and Atlanta – which moved from 11th place to first place in last month’s NBA draft lottery – used its top pick No. 1 of the lottery era to recruit him. Now, Risacher will play in a forward line alongside forward Jalen Johnson with the Hawks, who enter the offseason with many questions surrounding the future of their star-studded backline, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

The Hawks will also look to improve on the defensive end, where they struggled last season in defensive efficiency (27th overall), ball screen defense (24th), transition defense (29th ) and percentage of baskets allowed against lay-ups and dunks (26th).

Fellow forward Alex Sarr, also 19, was named No. 2 to the Washington Wizards, while Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard joined the Houston Rockets at No. 3.

“It shows the amount of talent we have in France,” Sarr said. “I’m really excited for Zac. I think our national team is going to be really good.”

It’s France brother 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

– Wemby (@wemby) June 27, 2024

During his introductory speech, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver congratulated the Boston Celtics on winning the 2024 NBA title – drawing boos from the thousands of fans gathered there – and commented on how the Celtics built their team by each selecting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. at No. 3 in the 2016 and 2017 drafts.

Silver’s comments came with an ironic twist, as the draft took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn – home of the Nets, the team that sent the Celtics the picks that became Brown and Tatum in the trade which brought Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. here in 2013.

Unlike last year’s draft, with Wembanyama the obvious selection throughout, the process has been much more confusing this year, with Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard and UConn center Donovan Clingan all discussed as possible options before Atlanta didn’t land Risacher with the first pick. .

After the Hawks took Risacher, Washington selected Sarr, a versatile 7-foot forward who drew some comparisons to longtime NBA star Al Horford, with the second pick, as was widely expected, paving the way for the first real dramatic moment when the rockets ran down the clock.

Houston, which had the third pick because it acquired it from the Nets in the 2021 James Harden trade, chose Sheppard – the sharpshooter who made 52% of his 3s with the Wildcats – adding to a burgeoning young talent base with the Rockets. which includes guard Amen Thompson, forward Jabari Smith Jr. and center Alperen Sengun.

Sheppard, who stands 6-foot-2, is the fifth player that height or younger to be chosen in the top three of the NBA draft in the last 30 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He is also the third guard from Kentucky to go in the top five in an NBA draft, joining John Wall (2010) and De’Aaron Fox (2017).

That meant another Texas team, the San Antonio Spurs, was on the clock with the fourth pick — their first of two, with the eighth pick, in this year’s lottery. The Spurs drew cheers from the crowd here in Brooklyn by taking Stephon Castle, a guard for two-time defending national champion UConn.

With the fifth pick, the Detroit Pistons were another team with some intrigue, as several teams were looking to potentially move up to draft Clingan, the best defensive player in this draft. Ultimately, however, the Pistons held on and drafted Ron Holland II, a 6-foot-7 forward who spent last season with the G League Ignite.

The Charlotte Hornets then continued the French connection at the top of this draft by taking Tidjane Saluan, a lanky, lanky 6-foot-9 forward who spent last season playing for Cholet Basket in France.

That left Clingan on the board for the Portland Trail Blazers, who were hoping to land the center with the seventh pick, and they managed to get him there.

Clingan’s draft also raised more questions about the futures of other members of the Trail Blazers, including centers Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, as Portland continues to retool its roster after trading away the 14th pick earlier in the evening as part of a deal with the Wizards. for striker Deni Avdija.

This was then followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves, fresh off the Western Conference Finals, trading a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap to the Spurs for the rights to the eighth pick of the draft – a pick Minnesota used to make. bring big scorer Rob Dillingham out of Kentucky.

The Memphis Grizzlies, having botched their move to obtain Clingan, then picked up Purdue center Zach Edey — the 7-foot-4 national player of the year — with the ninth overall selection. The Utah Jazz then selected Cody Williams – the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams – with the 10th overall selection.

The Chicago Bulls then drafted Matas Buzelis, a Windy City native who played for G League Ignite, with the 11th pick, before Oklahoma City selected Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, who has a partially torn ACL and could miss all the season, with the 12th selection.

Sacramento then took Providence guard Devin Carter – the son of longtime NBA guard Anthony Carter – with the 13th overall pick.

The Wizards (although the pick was officially made by Portland) completed the lottery by taking Bub Carlton “Bub” Carrington, a 6-foot-4 guard from Pittsburgh, with the 14th selection.