The Atlanta Hawks took down the Indiana Pacers in their first preseason action of the 2024 season in a thrilling 131-130 game. The highlight of the performance was the glowing debut of the team's No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher.
The top pick finished with 18 points (7-of-9 shooting, 3-of-4 from three), three rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes off the bench. He flashed some silky smooth moves, confidence, efficiency, and some outstanding outside shooting.
To give better perspective of what to expect from the rookie this season, The Steakhouse welcomed in Hawks guard Dyson Daniels to talk about what he's seen as they ramp up to the regular season.
"Opening night was just a taste of what he's going to show us," Daniels said about his new teammate. "It's going to be fun having him on my team and seeing him develop for sure."
Risacher oozes potential, but according to Daniels his work ethic matches that ability.
"You can look at him and see the potential to be an unbelievable player," Daniels said. "The thing you don't see is how hard he works. They say he's 6-foot-9, but he's really 6-foot-10 and can move well, shoots the ball well. He's super young, only 19 years old and he's got so much to learn, [but] this guy works so hard.
"He's in there before practice getting shots up and he's staying after practice to get shots up. He's in the weight room trying to put on size. He works super hard and I think that's the recipe for success. In the month I've been here, he's already come so far."